a woman watering on a roof garden
Body & Soul
30.07.2025 Gabriele Strasser 16279

Reduce stress: 7 tips for city dwellers

Going out into nature for 20 minutes three times a week has been proven to reduce stress. Seven tips on how city dwellers can also experience nature in small ways to improve their well-being.

Imagine you could take a pill that has been proven to reduce your stress. You would only have to remember to take the pill three times a week and your whole life would be more relaxed. Your mental and physical well-being would demonstrably improve and you could even measure this effect. Would you take this pill?

Well, this pill is within reach and it is simply called: get out into nature!
A remarkable study that prescribed city dwellers to experience nature for just ten minutes at least three times a week illustrates just how great the effect of a "nature pill" is. The relaxing effect was proven using saliva samples.

"Natural pill" reduces stress

The results showed that even very short nature experiences led to a significant reduction in cortisol and alpha-amylase - two stress markers in the human body. The greatest benefit for the test subjects of the "nature pill" was measured when the testers spent between 20 and 30 minutes in nature - the exact time of the nature experience did not matter.

A number of studies also show that experiencing nature not only increases well-being, but can also promote personal development by strengthening aspects such as self-esteem, creativity, social skills and environmental awareness. Researchers have also found that spending time in nature promotes a sense of connection, autonomy and personal development.

Get out into the countryside, whatever the time!

It doesn't matter whether the "nature experience" takes place in the morning, afternoon or evening. The time can be chosen based on individual factors such as energy levels, preferences or daily planning. Some like to start in the morning to start the day full of energy, others prefer the afternoon for an activity and some prefer to relax in the evening.

Choose the time that best suits your daily routine and well-being and pay attention to how the activity affects your mood.

 


 

Seven tips for experiencing nature in the city

Cities also offer numerous opportunities to experience nature in a relaxing way. Community gardens, parks and rivers offer city dwellers green recreational spaces:

1. small picnic on a meadow

Take a blanket and sit down for 20-30 minutes on a green area or at the edge of a small pond. Enjoy a small snack or a drink and take in the surroundings.

2. meditation or yoga outdoors

Find a quiet place outside, be it in the park, on a green space or on your planted balcony. Meditate for 10-15 minutes or do a short yoga session. Focus on your breath and the natural surroundings.

3. observe animals in the park

Go to a place where you can observe animals, such as a pond with ducks or a park with squirrels and birds. Take 20-30 minutes to observe the animals' behavior and enjoy the nature around you.

4. visit a rooftop or community garden

Visit a community garden or a rooftop garden. These places often offer a surprising amount of greenery and nature in the city. Enjoy the plants and flowers and perhaps also the conversation with other nature lovers.

5. take a short bike tour through green districts

Take a short bike ride through the greenest neighborhoods in your city. Even a 20-minute tour can help you connect with nature and get some fresh air.

6. concentrate on the sounds of nature

Sit down in a quiet place, such as a park, and consciously listen to the sounds of nature around you. The chirping of birds, the rustling of leaves or the sound of running water can be very relaxing.

7. watch the sunset or sunrise

Find a place with a good view, such as a bridge, a hill or a skyscraper roof, and watch the sun set or rise. The natural colors and play of light can have a calming effect and energize you for the day or evening.


 

Sources:

Hunter, M. R., Gillespie, B. W., & Chen, S. Y.-P. (2020). "Urban Nature Experiences Reduce Stress in the Context of Daily Life Based on Salivary Biomarkers." Health & Place)

Vitalizing effects of being outdoors and in nature, Richard M. Ryan, Netta Weinstein, Jessey Bernstein, Kirk Warren Brown, Louis Mistretta, Marylène Gagné, Published in: Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin

zero Gratitude makes you healthy and happy

Woman smiles gratefully
Body & Soul
25.10.2024 Christin Müller 16162

Learning gratitude and staying healthy

We adults live in an everyday life full of to-do lists, tight deadlines and ambitious goals. We often overlook the little moments that really enrich our lives. Feeling grateful for these little things almost seems like a luxury that we often don't have time for.

In this article, we show you why feeling gratitude can be the key to a healthier and happier life and what methods you can use to learn gratitude.

Learning gratitude increases the feeling of happiness

To feel gratitude in such a situation, you need to look deep inside yourself. Leave out everything negative and focus on the positive aspects of your life - however small they may be. After all, gratitude has been proven to increase happiness and joie de vivre. And not only that: gratitude can be learned!

There are various methods you can use to learn gratitude. The best known is the gratitude diary, in which you write every day before going to bed what was nice that day or what you are grateful for. One thing a day is enough. In our article "Writing down positive thoughts", we explain the principle of writing them down in more detail, which you are welcome to use as a template for your diary. However, it is important that you don't just write down what you are grateful for, but also reflect on it so that you can feel it.

Gratitude method: The 5-finger method

We would like to introduce you to one gratitude method today because it gives you a holistic feeling and quickly and effectively sharpens your eye for the little things mentioned above.

The starting point for this gratitude exercise is the 5-finger communication method developed by US psychologist Elsbeth Martindale. You can do the exercise regularly or when you are not feeling so well. You will quickly experience a good mood boost and permanently increase your well-being.

Use your hand as an aid and go through the following five steps one after the other.


 

  1. Thumbs: Familiarize yourself with the topic! Think about what you are really proud of. Be aware of your strengths and give yourself a pat on the back.
  2. Point the finger: Point to the facts! What excites and inspires you? For example, think of something beautiful from nature or a piece of work that you have created.
  3. Middle finger: Name your feelings! What good thing have you done for someone and how did it make you feel? How does it make you feel when you think about it now? Think about who you could do something good for next.
  4. Ring finger: What makes you feel good? Think of the person(s) you love or have loved. What feelings does this trigger in you?
  5. Little finger: What do you want? Name one thing you are grateful for.

Do you already feel a change?

Gratitude makes you healthy

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You may have already guessed that gratitude makes you happy and content. But did you know that it can be a real all-round medicine? People who are grateful generally have a positive attitude towards life. It improves sleep and reduces feelings such as anger, anxiety and depression. Gratitude increases motivation and reduces chronic stress - both in private life and at work. This has even been scientifically proven in various studies over the past 20 years. A study conducted by the University of California in 2015 even found that being grateful has been proven to improve heart health.

The good thing is that gratitude, like curiosity or humor, can be trained, says psychologist Willibald Ruch from the University of Zurich. Those who do this regularly increase their well-being. After some time, the neurobiological effects of gratitude training have even been proven by brain scans, report scientists from the University of Indiana (2016), according to Spiegel.