Take a walk in the park to say sayonara to stress

A new study has found that just 20 minutes of sitting or walking in a place that offers a sense of nature is enough to significantly reduce levels of the stress hormone cortisol. These findings follow news that GPs have started to prescribe nature as a form of treatment.  

Study participants were asked by researchers from the University of Michigan not to use their phones or access the internet, and to avoid conversations, aerobic exercise and reading. The emphasis was purely on being in the moment.

With an acre of green space currently open, Elephant Park is the perfect place to feel the sun on your skin and the breeze on your face, take in the various shades of green, or simply laze in the dappled light at the base of a mature London Plane tree. 

Central London’s largest new park in 70 years is the perfect natural oasis to escape urban life. Trees in the Elephant Park development include silver birch, elm, oak and magnolia, which have all been carefully chosen for the unique part they will play in developing the Elephant Park ecosystem.

Grab your lunch and find a spot under a tree, on the grass, or even on a bench – and, instead of scrolling through your phone, take in the greenery accompanied by the soundtrack of birds. Make it a regular activity and watch the semi-mature trees progress and the amount of wildlife living in the park increase as your stress levels diminish.

We all have busy lives, but 20 minutes isn’t a lot of time to find when the benefits are this great. So go outdoors and take a walk in Elephant Park – it’s just what the doctor ordered.