The Free Press Journal

Takeawalki­nthewoodst­obeatwork-relatedstr­ess

- AGENCIES/

While working people always are on a lookout to get rid of the stress related to office, a new study has found that people who regularly take walks in forests or greenspace­s may have higher stress-coping abilities.

Work causes so much stress that it's become a global public health issue. Stress’s impact on mental and physical health can also hurt productivi­ty and result in economic loss.

In a study, researcher­s led by Professor Shinichiro Sasahara at the University of Tsukuba analysed workers’ “sense of coherence” (SOC) scores, demographi­c attributes and their forest/greenspace walking habits.

SOC comprises the triad of meaningful­ness (finding a sense of meaning in life), comprehens­ibility (recognisin­g and understand­ing stress), and manageabil­ity (feeling equipped to deal with stress). Studies have found factors such as higher education and being married can strengthen SOC, while smoking and not exercising can weaken it. People with strong SOC also have greater resilience to stress.

The study used survey data on more than 6,000 Japanese workers between 20 and 60 years old. It found stronger SOC among people who regularly took walks in forests or greenspace­s. “SOC indicates mental capacities for realising and dealing with stress,” Professor Sasahara says.

“With workplace stress as a focal issue, there’s a clear benefit in identifyin­g everyday activities that raise SOC. It seems we may have found one.”

People find comfort in nature, and in countries like Japan urban greenspace­s are increasing in popularity where nature isn’t readily accessible. This means many workers in cities can easily take a walk among the trees.

The researcher­s divided the survey respondent­s into four groups based on their frequency of forest/greenspace walking. Then, they compared their walking activity against attributes such as age, income, and marital status, and with the respondent­s’ SOC scores, which were grouped as weak, middle, and strong.

Those with strong SOC showed a significan­t correlatio­n with both forest and greenspace walking at least once a week. This key finding implies the greater benefits of urban greening--not just environmen­tal, but also socioecono­mic.

 ??  ??

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from India