We’re all on the lookout for ways to make ourselves happier and improve your overall life satisfaction.

New research from Oregon State University indicates the answer to this conundrum could be much simpler than splashing cash on material goods.

Going for a hike in the countryside and immersing yourself in nature is not only good for your health – it helps to keep a smile on your face, the study suggests.

Scientists across the globe have long reported a substantial link between spending time outdoors and an improved mood.

The new research empirically demonstrates that a variety of mechanisms for engaging nature significantly contribute to a person’s overall well-being; confirming the widely-held belief about nature – it improves wellbeing.

Chief among those, the study found, was whether people believed their surrounding environments were being managed well – both at work and home as well as for the pursuit of recreation.

“Whether people feel like things are fair and they have a voice in process of making decisions and whether governance is transparent — those are the foundations of why people even can interact with nature,” said lead author Kelly Biedenweg of OSU’s College of Agricultural Sciences.

Biedenweg, an assistant professor in the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, and collaborators from Colorado State University and the University of Georgia analyzed results from more than 4,400 respondents to an online survey conducted in the Puget Sound region of Washington state.

The researchers used 13 different metrics to illustrate the relationship between overall life satisfaction and engaging with the natural environment. Among those metrics were community activities, access to wild resources, stress eased by time outdoors, and trust in policymakers.

“Eleven of the 13 had a positive correlation to overall life satisfaction,” said Biedenweg, a social scientist who studies both how humans benefit from the natural environment and the impact human actions have on it.

The links between ecological conditions, like drinking water and air quality, and objective well-being have been studied quite a bit, but the connection between various aspects of engaging the natural environment and overall subjective well-being have rarely been looked at.

“We wanted to identify the relative importance of diverse, nature-oriented experiences on a person’s overall life satisfaction assessment and statistically prove the relationship between happiness/life satisfaction and engaging with nature in many different ways.”

The researchers quantified the relationship between wellbeing and six common mechanisms by which nature has effects on well-being: social and cultural events; trust in governance; access to local wild resources; sense of place; outdoor recreation; and psychological benefits from time outdoors.

With the country basking in glorious sunshine this week and those perfect summer conditions hopefully set to continue, it is a timely reminder of the merits of enjoying the great outdoors.

Looking for some inspiration? Don’t forget to check the Garda Post’s regular ‘Walk of the Month’ features here.