Spend Five Minutes a Day Outdoors to Increase Self-Esteem

According to a study released just in time for summer, a mere five minutes of fresh air and exercise a day can improve mental health.

Researchers at the University of Essex looked at data from 1,252 people of different ages, genders and mental health status taken from 10 existing studies in Britain, they found that people who participated in "green activity" such as walking, gardening, or biking for at least five minutes —tended to have higher self-esteem and better moods.

Exercise is healthy, but it isn't always easy to find large chunks of time to get out every day, even if you are doing it at the office. However no matter how busy you are, it shouldn't be impossible to find five minutes to play fetch with your dog in the backyard, or go for a quick walk around the block and say "hey" to the neighbors.

Note that "green activity" refers not just to exercise, but the presence of nature.

via reuters.com