Why you'll feel better 3 days after you head out to nature
The secret science behind those 72 hours
We are probably not the first to tell you that we live in the era of quick fixes. Download this app, drink this shake, join this program, and everything will be better, faster. We try and fit as much into a small amount of time as possible, stress, anxiety, or burnout be damned. If we don't feel or achieve something immediately, it doesn't count as a win. But what if we thought about outcomes in another way?
Three days is all it takes
The majesty of nature is proof that real change takes time, but not nearly as much time as you think. Multiple studies, including this landmark piece from a neuroscientist in Kansas, have shown that the positive effects of nature on your entire way of thinking and feeling tend to emerge within three days of you being out there. You're more creative, clearer, and relaxed. The front of your brain, concerned with all the ephemera of everyday life (emails, meetings, deadlines), completely clears out and has a break.
About the study
Researchers from the University of Kansas and the University of Utah delved into the cognitive effects of spending time in nature. The experiment involved participants who spent three days in the wilderness without any digital devices, allowing them to disconnect entirely from modern distractions.
The results were striking. Participants showed a 50% increase in creative problem-solving abilities after just 72 hours in nature. This study used a variety of cognitive tests, such as the Remote Associates Test, to measure creative thinking, demonstrating a significant boost in lateral thinking and problem-solving after sustained exposure to nature. The researchers attributed this effect not only to the break from technology but also to the calming and restorative influence of natural surroundings, which reduced mental fatigue.
Another aspect of the study involved measuring participants' stress levels using biological markers such as cortisol, a hormone that spikes in response to stress. Over the course of the 72 hours spent in nature, cortisol levels were found to drop significantly. This reduction in stress is part of why participants reported feeling more at ease and capable of deep, creative thought. It’s not just about taking a break from work; it’s about allowing your body and mind to reset in an environment where your stress response naturally lowers.
Additionally, the research highlighted how nature helps restore attention span. Known as the Attention Restoration Theory (ART), this concept explains how being in natural settings allows the brain to recover from "directed attention fatigue"—the kind of mental exhaustion caused by focusing intensely on tasks like work or screens. When immersed in nature, your brain shifts into a mode of “soft fascination,” which is when your surroundings gently capture your attention without overwhelming you, leading to improved concentration and cognitive function.
This isn’t just anecdotal evidence; brain scans taken during other similar experiments show a decrease in activity in the prefrontal cortex—the part of the brain associated with rumination and negative thought patterns. The simple act of being outside, in the wilderness, allows the brain to reduce these negative loops, leaving you in a clearer, more positive state of mind by day three.
What will you feel when you get back?
It's more about what you'll experience, which, in a word, is clarity. The research showed a noticeable difference in qualitative thinking, which meant thinking more laterally and creatively, that occurred around the three-day mark. Some of that is the result of disconnection from the usual distractors, but it’s equally indebted to your connection with the awe of being out in nature. But the key is very much in the timing, according to Ken Sanders, one of the researchers on this study.
“I think it takes the first two days and nights to wash away whatever veneer of civilization you have brought with you. The new reality begins on that third day."
Get with the 72-hour program
So if you're feeling a bit flat in the old office, or like you can't quite get to the level of creative or strategic thinking you know you can, it might be time for a nature top-up. Feel free to tag your boss in here to get the ball rolling, and if they get in touch, we'll give them a discounted stay so they can feel the benefits for themselves, just like you.
Read about that University of Kansas study here, from our fellow nature-loving friends at REI Ready to get out to nature and feel the three day effect? Book now