28th
September 2020, India: Nature experiences can help to find a way back to
normality after months in the shadow of the pandemic. Shut-downs, isolation and
working from home have caused stress and anxiety for many but there is a way
out. Research shows that spending time in nature lowers stress levels – one of
the many benefits of outdoor holidays for both mental and physical health.
In Sweden, where 70 percent of
the country is covered with forest, nature is easy to reach. Visitors find open
landscapes with fields and meadows, virgin forests, quiet lakes, miles of
coastlines, and thousands of islands. For inspiration, Visit Sweden presents 15
unique experiences and accommodations in the country’s most fascinating natural
surroundings.
For a long time, people have
sought mental well-being in nature. We know, according to research, that there
are several benefits to staying outdoors, such as reduced negative emotions and
lowered stress levels. The positive effects were tested and proven through
Visit Sweden’s very own initiative, “The 72 Hour Cabin” (link), with participants from
major cities who had demanding jobs. They were examined before and after
spending three consecutive days in the Swedish countryside where they slept in
glass cabins next to water.
Nature experiences are an
effective way to find a way back to a new normality after months of
pandemic-related stress, anxiety, and loneliness. Besides, outdoor tourism in
small groups is safer than culture trips to cities. And even those who don’t
feel like traveling right now can reap the benefits of Mother Nature as studies
suggest that even looking at images or videos of natural environments provide
similar positive effects.
More than two-thirds of Sweden
is covered with trees, and it is not only the sparsely populated North that
boasts lush wilderness: Cities throughout the country have lakes, meadows,
forests, scenic coastal paths, and vast archipelagos around the corner, which
makes nature easy to reach wherever you go. No wonder Swedes maintain an
unusually close relationship to nature and draw from the healing power of
spending time al fresco. In several places around the country, experts offer
experiences in nature that foster mental health: Outdoor cooking, hiking,
canoeing, and mountain biking are classic activities with a lasting effect.
“Natural environments are an
important resource for meeting the health challenges in our society. Research
shows that time spent outdoors reduces negative emotions and stress, and
promotes positive emotions, mental recovery, and performance,” says Cecilia
Stenfors, a researcher at the Aging Research Center at KarolinskaInstitutet,
Sweden, and the University of Chicago, USA.
And the list goes on: Whoever
takes the step out into the green does himself a favor by lowering blood
pressure, cortisol, and heart rate, according to a meta-analysis from the
University of East Anglia, published in Environmental Research.
But where to start in a country as large as Sweden? Let our list of engaging experiences and unique accommodations in nature guide and inspire you to find balance after a turbulent year.
About Visit Sweden
Visit Sweden is Sweden’s marketing company. Visit
Sweden markets Sweden abroad as a destination to contribute to more jobs and
increased income in Sweden. The company also provides and sells communication
and knowledge services related to the hospitality industry, tourism and travel.
Foreign tourists spend approximately SEK 144 billion annually in Sweden and
approximately 172,400 people are employed in the hospitality industry’s
companies alone. Visit Sweden is owned by the Swedish state through the
Ministry of Trade and Industry. www.visitsweden.com
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