Being in nature for 10 minutes is good for our mental health. It can help improve our relationships. Even gardening can help. A study from Hong Kong found that nature makes us see other people as "more human". Researchers say this makes us help others. This makes us feel better about ourselves. We feel more positive, so our mental health improves. Helping other people can also reduce our stress and anxiety.
Mental health is a growing problem. More people are suffering from stress, depression, and other disorders. In the USA, one in five people has mental health problems. The research has good advice. It says being near trees or in fields helps us sleep better and helps us focus. A study from Japan found that flowers have positive effects on mental health. It said workers who had a vase of roses on their desk became calmer after just four minutes.
Try the same news story at these levels:
Nature - Level 0, Nature - Level 2 or Nature - Level 3
Sources- https://www.psypost.org/contact-with-nature-has-this-heartening-effect-on-our-psychological-disposition-scientists-find/
- https://www.thecooldown.com/green-tech/nature-therapy-mental-health-benefits-study/
- https://www.theguardian.com/books/article/2024/aug/27/good-nature-by-kathy-willis-review-flower-power
Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice activities, drag and drop activities, sentence jumbles, which word activities, text reconstructions, spelling, gap fills and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)