Noticing nature: The role of environmental awareness in promoting well‐being

1. Spending time in natural environments is associated with enhanced well-being, including reduced stress and improved cognitive restoration. This experimental study investigates whether these benefits can be amplified by providing environmental prompts to direct attention towards specific features (natural versus human-made) within the environment.

2. Seventy-nine participants were randomly allocated to one of three conditions: Restorative prompting; Human-made prompting; or control. In the Restorative prompting group, participants were asked to notice natural features within the environment (natural sounds, smells, views, plants and biodiversity). In the human-made prompting group, participants were asked to notice built elements in the environment (buildings, pathways, and human-made sounds). Participants in the control group received no instructions.

3. This study was conducted at Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Wisley botanical gardens. Measures of state well-being (Short Warwick Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale), positive affect (Discrete Emotions Questionnaire) and perceived restoration (Restoration Outcome Scale) were taken before and after participants spent 20 minutes in the garden completing attentional prompting activities.

4. Participants in the restorative prompting group reported significantly higher state well-being, positive affect and restoration compared to those in the human-made prompting group and the no prompting controls. These findings suggest that the well-being and restorative effects of spending time in natural environments are enhanced when individuals actively attend to nature and emotions. This has significant practical implications for the design and management of natural spaces, both public and private, such as parks and gardens that attract visitors seeking leisure and relaxation. The study provides valuable insights into how people can get the most out of these visits to support and enhance their well-being, highlighting the potential of interventions such as interpretive signage, digital trails or guided experiences to promote more meaningful engagement with nature.