I Took Part in the Unyoked x AllTrails Global Nature Study and the Results Are In

The Global Nature Study has revealed that nature stays can increase mental wellbeing by up to 12.7% – over 50% more effective than mindfulness practice! WAE Content Editor Jess experienced this firsthand as a participant of the study. 

In the past twelve months, over 718 nights, people across the world disconnected from their usual routine to stay in an Unyoked Cabin. Why? To participate in the Unyoked x AllTrails Global Nature Study to determine if time in nature can significantly impact mental health, wellbeing, and feelings of connectedness to nature. 

As one of the people invited to participate, I was initially dubious. Could hanging out in a tiny house with a nice view for two days really improve mental health? I was sure it’d be relaxing, but come Monday when the realities of deadlines, and the real world returned, I was convinced the only lasting impact of my stay would be the memory of it. 

As it turned out, I was wrong. The results are in – time spent immersed in nature is a bloody good thing for humans.

If this counts as good for my health, where do I sign up?

Key Findings

• Nature stays increased mental wellbeing by 12.7% 
• Nature stays reduced burnout by 16.1% 
• Participants connection to nature increased by 10.4% 

The study found that even brief immersions in nature can significantly enhance our connection to the environment, well-being, and ability to weather challenges like stress.

While activities like mindfulness, meditation, and yoga have shown moderate effectiveness in reducing burnout, the Global Nature Study found that two nights in an Unyoked Cabin was highly effective. Two weeks after their stay, participants, myself included, felt more resilient, with fewer feelings of anxiety, depression, and irritability. 

Overall, the results show that spending time in nature is great for our wellbeing. Spending time around wombats and woodland enhances our mood and even makes us more likely to engage in pro-environmental behaviours like supporting conservation, recycling, and conserving water. 

While the idea that nature is good for us isn’t new (check out this Act Local episode about the importance of connecting to nature to combat climate change!), it’s always good to get some legit proof.

Should we all go outside now? Probably. 

What was involved in the study?

As study participants we were required to complete an anonymous pre and post-stay online questionnaire that assessed various dimensions of our wellbeing. This allowed Corus, the wellbeing and impact consultancy that conducted the study, to form a baseline and compare it to our responses that were recorded two weeks after our nature immersion.

Between each survey, we were required to spent two nights in an Unyoked Cabin. There were no guidelines for the study beyond what a normal stay entails. Some cabins had reception, others didn’t. Some were by the water, others were surrounded by mountains. 

There was no rule about technology use either – we could use it if we wanted but we were recommended not to. Beyond making space in the calendar, and packing some food, all we had to do was turn up for a weekend away from life as we knew it.

Frankly, it sounded like something that’d be pretty popular even if it didn’t have fancy wellness credentials

What’s it like staying at an Unyoked Cabin?

When I first arrived at Govind, one of the Unyoked Cabins located on the traditional land of the Gulidjan and Gadubanud people on the Great Ocean Road, time yawned ahead of me. 

I’m used to filling every second, scheduling weeks in advance, and valuing productivity. Looking up at the gorgeous Unyoked cabin thoughts rallied inside my skull, jostling for attention and ensuring an endless stream of noise, despite the silence. 

Noisier Than Expected

‘I may just drive myself insane over the next few days’, I thought, as questions impossible to answer without Google tumbled over each other in my mind. 

‘What time will the sun set?’

‘How many different types of kangaroo does Australia have?’

‘Is that a huntsman?’

‘What does “Un-yoked” mean? Is it possible to just be “yoked?”’

‘How busy is too busy?’

‘Can I afford to build one of these?’

Keen to escape my inner monologue I conducted a quick recce of my new digs. There was no reason to rush, but y’know, habits die hard. 

I found a book of cabin porn, cassette tapes with field recordings on them, an outdoor shower, a perfectly placed hammock, and an old-timey-looking battery-operated lantern. The sheets were linen, and the detailing on the tiny house was phenomenal. All I had to do was enjoy it. But how?

Bloody good question – it felt nice to know I wasn’t the only one out of my depth on arrival

I consulted the handy field guide, presumably placed there for fellow guests also unused to having nothing to do. It advised me to find a stick and study it. Which, after flicking through all the books and listening to the tapes, I decided I’d better do – for the sake of completeness.

So off I went to find a stick. At first, I felt ridiculous, but eventually, I realised I hadn’t heard myself think for a while.

And it was bliss. 

Stick forgotten, I wandered among the flowers, took a nap in the hammock while the sun slowly dipped below the trees, and felt tension I didn’t know I was carrying, dissipate. 

Noticing Becomes Second Nature

A stranger-come-friend, Explorer Courtney, embarked on a year of noticing recently. It struck me as an unusual quest when I first heard about it, but sitting in the cabin looking out the window at nature raging for hours on end, I finally got it.

There are trees I walk by every day that I couldn’t pick out of a lineup. Yet there’s a tree that was outside the window of the Govind Unyoked cabin that I reckon I could still draw from memory now and probably be quite accurate. 

Maybe there’s something in this noticing idea. 

Ever so slowly I settled into the rhythm of nature rather than the forced structure of a schedule. When hunger beckoned, I ate. I slept when my eyes felt heavy. The intensely curious gaze of four kangaroos just metres away on the other side of the glass woke me up. 

With such large windows you feel part of the environment, even when you’re indoors

By my last morning I realised the cabin was far from silent. The ocean roared in the distance, the weeds rustled more softly than the leaves of the Eucalypts. The shy wallabies announced themselves with soft thuds long before their ears twitched above the brush. 

Relaxation is here if you want it, and it’s almost impossible to avoid.

You’ll Probably Never Be the Same Again

Before I knew it, it was all over. And I was determined that what I learned here wouldn’t be forgotten. 

In the words of author Charlotte Eriksson, ‘There’s a whole world out there, right outside your window. You’d be a fool to miss it’.

So, what now?

Australians spend 80-100% of their time indoors, and despite loving hiking and being outdoors, I’m definitely one of the people included in that range. 

Not only is this bad for physical health due to poorer air quality and inactivity, but as this Global Nature Study has proven, it’s bad for our mental health and wellbeing. 

Aside from booking a stay at an Unyoked Cabin to experience these benefits for yourself, the team behind the Unyoked x AllTrails Global Nature Study recommends that we:

• Prioritise escaping into nature
• Make nature discovery a daily activity 
• Practise mindful immersion

So go on, get out there, and hug a tree. You probably need it more than the tree does. 

I’m not kidding, go find one

More Ways to Connect With Nature

• Nature Based Adventure Therapy is Helping People Heal
• The Healing Power of Nature is Closer to Home Than I Realised
• This Nature Art Class Changed My Perspective Of The Outdoors
• I Finally Learnt How To Slow Down at a Forest Bathing Workshop
• Why This Yogi Says Time in Nature is Vital for a Balanced Life