Stuck in gridlock, minutes racing by, deadlines looming, blood pressure rising… it’s understandable that stressed out city dwellers look forward to “getting away from it all”. Research shows that holidays do indeed improve our mental and physical health.
This is particularly true of holidays to places of natural beauty. Interacting with nature improves our mental, emotional, and physical health. Naturally (pun intended!), the Coromandel, with its abundant natural beauty, has long been a summer playground for Aucklanders and those further afield.
So, what’s the big deal?
Well, the good folks in the Coromandel didn’t expect you just to believe them – they wanted to be able to confidently claim that the Coromandel Cure is “scientifically proven to be good for your soul”. So DDB Aotearoa conceptualised a creative research study – 14 people were sent (in pairs) to visit the Coromandel for two nights, in return for completing brief surveys before and after their trips, wearing a smart watch for 48 hours during and after their trips, and discussing their trip after their return. So, I am “the real researcher” who independently analysed the data – and I was worried.
Why was I worried?
Well, the research documenting the wellbeing effects of holidays has mostly focused on longer holidays (such as a month) in far-flung destinations (often overseas). I didn’t know ahead of time if a brief mini break just a short drive from Auckland could deliver the goods. Luckily, DDB Aotearoa was prepared for the data to fall where it may. But as it turns out, they didn’t have to second-guess their faith in letting the facts speaking for themselves.
When asked what a dream holiday would be like, most participants mentioned nature, variety and views. For example, “Lina” declared “a dream holiday would have you out in the fresh air and in picturesque [surroundings], driving past fields and animals.” Sea, bush, hikes, shopping, relaxing, eating – every participant enthused about something different – but they all wanted to “relax” and “get away from it all” – and their self-reported survey data together with their smart watch data corroborated that they returned feeling far less stressed (and twice as relaxed) compared to how they felt before they left.
It appears these effects were brought on in large part by the natural environment. As “John” put it, “when you’re out in nature, you feel relaxed, you’re kind of on the move in the fresh air, fresh air and exercise mean you sleep well”. Being in nature doesn’t just enhance individual wellbeing, it also benefits family, couples, and friend-group relationships by offering opportunities to bond and make memories together.
What’s cool is that although everyone would prefer to visit in good weather (they’re not crazy after all), even those who happened to visit on a rainy weekend reported thoroughly enjoying their visit. I can attest to this – my first visit to the Coromandel many years ago was literally and figuratively in driving rain for most of it - and I still fondly remember the sight and smell of the green, glistening bush.
But wait there’s more! Even really short-term nature breaks can work magic. “Jill” could only stay on holiday for the first night, due to an unexpected family commitment but enthused “it was so relaxing, so lovely, that it felt like we were away for so much longer than one night”. Research from Harvard Medical School shows that even spending 20 minutes in natural settings (from back gardens to public parks) reduced people’s levels of the stress hormone cortisol (they took saliva samples to prove this). So even if you can’t afford to get “a way” from where you are, you can still get “away” by going outside, seeking the green, breathing in deeply and letting all that goodness all soak in. All the depressing news about climate change makes it clear that this decade is make-or-break for nature – but a break in nature can make you feel so much better about everything, re-energising you to do what you can to make a positive difference.
Karen Fernandez, School of Business at the University of Auckland is a leading expert on qualitative consumer research with a special interest in identity, wellbeing and place attachment.
