Nature May Help With Loneliness, But This Could Matter More

You know that feeling when you've been around people all day but still feel completely alone? Loneliness isn't always about being physically by yourself.

Sometimes, what's missing is a sense of belonging or regular connection with other people. Spending time in nature can be a helpful way to support mental well-being, but it may not address that deeper need on its own.

A new randomized controlled trial1 looked at whether spending time in nature with other people could make a difference for adults experiencing loneliness, and whether the approach worked equally well for everyone.

About the study

The RECETAS-BCN trial, which tested a nature-based social prescribing approach, included 320 adults from 12 lower-income neighborhoods in the Barcelona metropolitan area. Everyone reported experiencing loneliness, and most participants were women, with a median age of about 63.

Participants were randomly assigned to one of two groups. The first joined a nine-week program called "Friends in Nature," which included weekly two-hour group sessions led by a facilitator in outdoor spaces such as parks, gardens, and coastal areas.

The second group had a one-time motivational interview and received suggestions for nature activities they could do independently. Researchers then checked in with participants at three, six, and 12 months to assess loneliness and health-related quality of life.

The more lonely participants had more to gain from group activities

Both groups reported less loneliness over time. Scores dropped by about 10.5% after three months and about 16.8% after one year, with no meaningful difference between the two approaches overall. The picture changed when researchers looked at how lonely and emotionally well participants were when they started.

People with higher levels of loneliness and lower emotional well-being experienced significantly greater improvements with the group-based program than with the self-directed approach. Participants who started out with lower loneliness and less emotional distress did about equally well with either option.

The intervention did not significantly improve health-related quality of life in either group.

Why the social piece may matter

If you're already feeling isolated, being told to spend more time outside may sound helpful in theory but can be surprisingly difficult to translate into real life. A walk through the park gives you fresh air and movement, but it doesn't necessarily give you the human connection you're craving.

The group program addressed both at once.

Participants spent time outdoors while having regular opportunities to talk, participate in activities together, and become familiar with the same people over several weeks. That may help explain why the people who started out feeling the most lonely and emotionally distressed benefited more from the structured program. Nature provided the setting, but the repeated social contact may have been an important part of what made the intervention useful.

How to make time outside more social

If loneliness has become a regular part of your life, consider choosing outdoor activities that naturally involve other people.

A walking group, community garden, hiking club, or recurring outdoor class can give you a reason to leave the house while creating opportunities for connection. You don't need to walk into a room full of strangers and immediately make new best friends, either. Seeing the same people regularly can make socializing feel more natural over time. Even a casual walking group where you can drop in without a big commitment may be a good place to start.

And if a group setting feels like too much, there's nothing wrong with keeping your nature time solo. The study found that people with lower levels of loneliness and emotional distress benefited from the self-directed approach, too.

The takeaway

Getting outside may be helpful for loneliness, but the best approach can depend on how much connection you're missing in the first place.

If you're feeling especially isolated, combining time in nature with regular social contact may offer more support than going it alone.