The start of a new year: a time of optimism, ambitious plans to improve the world, and grim suspicions that the first two months might just be a miserable slog in the deepest darkness of winter.
But for those who fear the cold and darkness ahead, help is on the horizon. Researchers in Canada are investigating a simple trick they hope will boost morale even when the days are short and there’s frost in the air.
“People really need something to help them get through the winter, especially after Christmas,” said Dr. Holli-Anne Passmore, the study psychologist at Concordia University in Edmonton, Alberta. “If people don’t like winter, they really don’t see anything good in it. »
Between January and March, it is expected that at least 100 volunteers in Edmonton – a city where winter days can mean seven hours of daylight and temperatures as low as -35°C – will spend two weeks going about their business. their usual activities, but with a little change. .
Participants will be invited, as they travel, to pay attention to the natural in the midst of the human work – the frosty tree next to the tower, the animal footprints on the snowy sidewalk, the icicles hanging from the roof of the warehouse – and take notes on how they feel.
Before and after the trial, called Noticing Nature Intervention, participants will fill out questionnaires so researchers can assess their levels of anxiety, stress, happiness, life satisfaction and feeling connected to the world. They will then determine whether noticing nature in a built environment constitutes a real boost.
The volunteers’ scores, as well as measurements of a salivary enzyme linked to stress, will be compared to those of a control group who went about their business without instructions to change their behavior.
The trial will run for two weeks to help people get into the habit of observing nature, but can such a simple tip really hope to have an impact? The simplicity of the procedure shouldn’t discourage people, Passmore says. “People tend to overlook the well-being they will feel when they notice nature,” she said. “Part of this concerns our entire Western society. We want a pill, we want something new and improved, we always want the latest one.
In addition to its parks, trees and other plants, Edmonton is home to squirrels, rabbits, coyotes, beavers and hundreds of species of wild birds. In the hustle and bustle of daily life, they easily go unnoticed. “We know that people are becoming more and more disconnected from nature,” Passmore said. “One of the reasons is the built environment we live in, but we are also stuck on our cell phones. Honestly, just look around us.
Passmore believes that winter brings its own delights: trees sparkle with frost, animal tracks are visible in the snow, the color palette and soundscape change. The cold is invigorating, the night sky more visible. “You’re more likely to see the stars and the Northern Lights because you don’t have to wait until two in the morning,” she said. “It’s much more invigorating to be outside in winter. I still think it’s a bit of an adventure. Every time you go out, it’s exhilarating.
Gary Evans, director of the Forest Bath Institute, which runs nature sessions with Forestry England and carries out research with universities, urged people to warm up and get outside to see the nature around them.
“Often people think they don’t have time, but it doesn’t have to take long,” he added. “Just find a manageable starting point. On your way to work, give yourself a few extra minutes. If there are two routes from the subway, go down the tree-lined street. If people like it, they will spend more time on it.