Spending time in green space or bringing nature into your everyday life can benefit both your mental and physical wellbeing. It can:
- Improve your mood
- Reduce feelings of stress or anger
- Help you take time out and feel more relaxed
- Improve your physical health
- Improve your confidence and self-esteem
- Help you be more active
- Help you make new connections
- Provide peer support.
So, what if feeling better was as simple as stepping outside?
Our brand new “A Breath of Fresh Air” booklet is your introduction to the Yorkshire Dales National Park as a place to relax, recharge and reconnect. Through beautiful landscapes, gentle walks and simple activities, this guide shows how spending time in nature can boost your mood, reduce stress and improve your overall wellbeing.
What you’ll find inside
- Easy, accessible places to explore – no experience or specialist gear needed
- Inspiring locations like Aysgarth Falls, Ribblehead and Grassington
- Simple ways to connect with nature – from mindful moments to family activities
- Ideas for all ages, including activities for babies and young children
- Practical information on travel, facilities and accessibility
Time in nature has been shown to slow the heart rate, ease tension and lower stress levels – offering a natural boost for both body and mind. This booklet helps you experience those benefits for yourself, in a way that feels easy, welcoming and achievable.
Who it’s for
- This guide is for everyone:
- If you’re new to the outdoors
- If you’re looking for a way to unwind
- If you want to spend meaningful time with family
- Or if you simply need a break from busy everyday life
Nearly 45% of people in the UK used green spaces to cope with stress during the pandemic. Living near or accessing green space is associated with better mental health outcomes. There are wider impacts too: lower cardiovascular risk, improved air quality, and reduced mortality in greener areas.
At the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority, we run ‘Green social prescribing programmes’; targeted programmes designed to help people improve their health and well-being through spending regular time outdoors with like-minded people. You can find out more about that here.
Finally, a few years ago, Dales Discoveries also created this Yorkshire Dales Guide to Health & Happiness which you can download here. A guide that will inspire you to get out in the Yorkshire Dales and enjoy the landscape and nature that we have around us.
