Ten Ways to Make Enjoyable Outdoor Time Part of a Trip

A patch of shade, birds in a nearby tree or a path beside water can make an ordinary day more enjoyable. You do not need a remote mountain or an ambitious hike to spend time with nature.

There are good reasons to make room for outdoor experiences, but calling nature “the best medicine” promises too much. The useful question is how it might fit into your life, alongside the care and support you need.

What the well-known two-hour study found

A 2019 study by Mathew White and colleagues examined responses from 19,806 adults in England. People reporting at least two hours of recreational nature contact in the previous week were more likely to report good health or high wellbeing than those reporting none.

The study found an association. It did not prove that prescribing exactly two hours outdoors would cause an individual’s health to improve, and its authors called for further research.

The figure is therefore a research finding to understand, not a pass-or-fail target. A short visit that fits your circumstances can still be worth enjoying.

Make the outing easy to begin

Choose somewhere close enough that the journey does not become a project. A park bench, an accessible garden or a familiar riverside route may be a better starting point than a distant beauty spot.

Decide what would make the visit comfortable: shade, seating, a toilet, a companion or a clear route home. Practical comfort gives you more freedom to pay attention to the surroundings.

Our hiking guide offers a next step if you want a more active outing, but sitting quietly can be a valid choice too.

Give yourself one thing to notice

Try following the movement of a cloud, listening for different sounds or looking at the shape of leaves. You do not have to identify every bird or turn the outing into a formal mindfulness exercise.

If you like keeping a record, write one sentence about what changed since your last visit. Returning to the same place can reveal more than continually searching for a new destination.

Our Ellie Davies forest photography feature offers another way of thinking about attention to woodland landscapes.

Keep health claims in proportion

Outdoor time does not replace treatment for depression, ADHD or another medical condition. If you are struggling, seek appropriate support rather than blaming yourself for not spending enough time in a park.

Protect your skin when outside. The American Academy of Dermatology advises against using deliberate UV exposure as a way to obtain vitamin D; speak with a health professional if you are concerned about your levels.

Include a small outdoor pause while travelling

Leave a gap between indoor visits for a garden, a shaded square or a waterfront stop that suits the weather. The pause can be part of the pleasure of the trip rather than another item to complete.

If the conditions are uncomfortable, change the plan. Nature does not need to become an endurance test to deserve a place in your day.

The aim is simple: find an outdoor experience you can enjoy and return to, without turning a hopeful idea into a promise that it cannot keep.

1. Choose a nearby place

Start with somewhere that is easy to reach from your accommodation. Reducing the transfer makes a short outing more practical and leaves more of the available time for the place itself.

2. Make seating part of the route

A bench or another appropriate resting place can be as important as the view. Choose an outing that allows you to pause comfortably rather than treating continuous movement as the goal.

3. Follow one seasonal detail

Look for a change in leaves, flowers or the water level since another visit. This gives the outing a small subject without turning it into a claim that observation will produce a particular medical result.

4. Try a quiet listening stop

Where it is comfortable to pause, notice which sounds are nearby and which are distant. You can enjoy that simple distinction without needing an app, a species list or a formal exercise.

5. Leave a gap between attractions

An outdoor pause can sit between a museum and a meal. It does not have to compete with the rest of the itinerary or become another major destination to organise.

6. Let companions choose differently

One person may want a short walk while another prefers sitting in the shade. A clear meeting point lets both enjoy the same place without making one activity compulsory for everyone.

7. Keep a small visual record

Photograph one feature from an authorised path, then look at it again without the screen. The purpose is to remember a detail, not to make a perfect image or disturb the setting.

8. Adjust for the actual conditions

Shade, wind, rain and the route underfoot affect comfort. Changing the outing is a practical choice, not a failure to appreciate nature or meet an arbitrary outdoor target.

9. Repeat a place you liked

Returning can reveal details missed during the first visit. Familiarity also reduces the planning effort, which may make another short outing easier to fit into a busy trip.

10. Notice what worked for you

Afterwards, remember which part was enjoyable: company, a view, movement or simply a pause. That personal preference can guide the next outing without becoming a universal claim about health, happiness or recovery.