Nature provides opportunities to enjoy physical activity and experience emotional and cognitive renewal. A study in Finland which has a rural landscape composed of forests, lakes, and plenty of summer cottages found that most of their adolescents aged 15- to 16-year-old share the idea that nature enhances well-being and generates happiness. Most of the participants associated positive characteristics with nature and described usual outdoor activities such as walking and jogging as a means to connect with nature and their happiness-enhancing ability. The results of the study demonstrate that retreating or getting away from everyday life in the city and disconnecting from their worries and concerns to stay in nature can be helpful and important for urban people’s experiences of happiness. Plus, spending time in nature may have a long-lasting effect on their happiness. (1)
To see the perceptions of these adolescents on nature-based happiness, look at the notes taken from the study. Their notes were categorized into four themes. (1)
Does nature make adolescents happy?
“There are many kinds of happiness, and for Finns, it’s nature, or at least a part of it. We Finns have learned to enjoy nature and use it for recreation purposes. The freshness of nature relaxes people. Nature makes me happy as it brings back childhood memories and feelings of joy and freshness. In nature, clean air and certain forest and nature smells make happy and relieve stress, for instance.”
“In my opinion, Finns’ happiness is also dependent on nature, but I think the biggest reasons are the “good circumstances” in the whole country. On the other hand, it’s certainly nice and relaxing to go to nature in Finland, for instance to walk. Nature doesn’t make me happy, but it refreshes me anyway.”
“Nature and happiness are not the same thing! I myself don’t believe that nature makes people happy. People generalize about nature and the Finns. It’s a stereotype that “Finns like nature.” I myself hate nature. I don’t have good experiences of nature. It’s distressing in nature. I don’t go to nature! Finland isn’t the happiest nation in the world.”
Nature activities
“Nature makes a lot of people feel peaceful, and happy as a result. Walking in nature is a good time to think. You can also participate in different activities such as fishing, picking mushrooms, or dog walking. You can escape the noise of the city in nature and get time for yourself. Moreover, going to the cottage develops your social life as you can spend a week with your friends, for instance. Also, fishing is a good hobby, for example, as you can concentrate on just one thing.”
Elements that enable or prevent happiness in nature
“If the pollution and noise of the city don’t excite you, you can go to nature. Nature is
beautiful and safe. You can exercise and hike there. Nature offers people a lot, and that’s why humans should also take care of it. You don’t necessarily always need modern equipment and devices to be happy.”
“Finns become happy when they reach the peace of nature. Nature also makes me happy when you can go to a peaceful place and focus on your own thoughts. The gurgle of a stream, birdsong, and leaves rustling in the wind calm you down in everyday life. Fresh air also revitalizes you.”
“In summer I like to go walking in the forest or otherwise be outside and enjoy the warmth. But I wouldn’t say that it (nature) makes me happy. Trees, grass, and sunshine do, but there are many small things that I don’t like and can’t do anything about. Bugs, insects, and coldness probably annoy me the most. If it were warmer and there weren’t any bugs, I would be satisfied. But now we’re only talking about summer. What about winter? Then I don’t like nature at all! It’s cold, snow is stupid and it’s slippery. The trees look dead without leaves, and nothing is fine in winter!”
Explanations for happiness in nature
“Nature makes me happy. It makes you feel safe, and you get a peaceful, well-balanced feeling. When the air and nature are fresh and clean, the view might be so beautiful, and you might have good experiences that you can recall later. You may get positive energy even for days when you feel bad-tempered:)”
“I don’t know whether it makes me happy, but it’s nice as it’s peaceful. Nature makes me very happy, and nature shows peace where you don’t always have to be perfect. I like nature very much because it calms me down. You don’t always have to be on the phone, and you can go to nature to calm down.”
Reference:
(1) Hakoköngäs E., Puhakka R. Happiness from Nature?.Adolescents’ Conceptions of the Relation between Happiness and Nature in Finland, Leisure Sciences, (2021). doi: 10.1080/01490400.2021.1877584
Ciele 