Published May 21, 2026 03:00AM<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Key Takeaways<\/strong>: Getting outside may be the antidote to poor body image, according to a recent study published in May 2026. The lead researchers say that spending time in nature can boost feelings of restoration and self-compassion, which can, in turn, make people less likely to pursue\u00a0unhealthy societal body standards\u00a0and redirect their attention to how their bodies function in the world.<\/p>\n In an era dominated by the rise of GLP-1 medications, viral internet trends like \u201clooksmaxxing<\/a>\u201d (taking extreme measures to be the most attractive version of yourself), and the general sense that every inch of our appearance is up for scrutiny, it can feel harder than ever to escape the pressure to fixate on how we look. But a recent study<\/a> published in the journal Environmental International<\/i> suggests that one simple, low-effort habit may\u00a0improve your life satisfaction and buffer against toxic body ideals: spending time outdoors.<\/p>\n To be clear, stepping outside won\u2019t suddenly cure deep-rooted insecurities. But in the largest survey on this topic, the researchers analyzed self-reported habits of more than 50,000 people aged 18 to 99 from 58 countries. They examined how participants\u2019 time outdoors correlated with their life satisfaction and confidence. Despite vast differences in age, location, and gender, the data revealed that connecting with nature was linked to a positive body image.<\/p>\n \u201cPositive body image is when we begin to think of the body not in terms of what it looks like, but in terms of how it functions, how it helps us navigate from place to place, and all the wonderful things it does for us in our everyday life,\u201d Viren Swami<\/a>, a psychology researcher and lead author of the study, tells Outside<\/i>. He says that being in contact with nature can help people develop a better body image.<\/p>\n \u201cOur experimental work has shown that even just a short 30-minute walk in nature can promote improvements in the positive body image in the immediate term,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n The mental reset that improves feelings about the body, according to the study, occurs through two psychological pathways. The first is by fostering self-compassion, which had a strong, positive association with improved self-image. The second focused on what researchers call \u201cperceived restoration\u201d after spending time outdoors. Restoration in this case means feeling more mentally recharged, energized, and confident. Nature also provides distance from background distractions such as traffic, crowds, notifications, and social media, all of which are associated with stress.<\/p>\n Feeling more positive and confident about oneself may help build healthier coping skills to\u00a0protect us from the emotional impact of weight-related stigma or negative comments made about our bodies. It might also help people perceive threats to body image as less destabilizing. And perhaps now more than ever, that mental armor is exactly what we need.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re surrounded by all these messages that a [certain] look is beautiful, and so we engage in a process where we compare ourselves to these [societal] standards. Those standards are artificial,\u201d says Elizabeth Daniels<\/a>, a psychologist and director of the Center for Appearance Research at the University of the West of England. Access to weight-loss medications amplifies the perception that we have control over how we look, Daniels says. However, genetics and environmental stressors<\/a> also influence your weight.<\/p>\n Of course, there are some caveats with this study. First, the study shows correlation, not causation, meaning we don\u2019t exactly know how <\/em>or why <\/em>nature influences body image. Secondly, the data relied on subjective measures of \u201cnature exposure\u201d that didn\u2019t distinguish between, say, casually passing trees outside your apartment and intentionally unplugging for an hours-long hike. It\u2019s also worth noting that survey responses were collected during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when lockdowns, isolation, and changing access to public spaces likely influenced people\u2019s mental health and lifestyles.<\/p>\n Still, the findings align with a growing body of research<\/a> suggesting that the great outdoors can meaningfully support our well-being\u2014and, in turn, how we feel about ourselves.<\/p>\n While nature alone won\u2019t silence society\u2019s longstanding pressure to look a certain way, there\u2019s\u00a0little downside to carving out intentional moments to step outside. The experts interviewed for this article suggest a few small shifts to maximize these confidence-boosting benefits.<\/p>\n Not everyone has the time to log daily walks, nor the access to sweeping, gorgeous views, Swami says. \u201cMy individual advice is to avoid thinking about \u2018nature contact\u2019 in terms of time limits or exposure, because what all the evidence suggests is that if you place rules on outdoor time\u2014like saying people must<\/i> spend 30 minutes outside every day\u2014and you fail to do them, the negative impact is much more detrimental than any positive impact.\u201d<\/p>\n Instead, he recommends spending as much time as you<\/i> personally can (or want) in nature. For one person, that may look like eating lunch on a bench instead of at a desk. Someone else may choose to simply look out the window during their commute home.<\/p>\n However you choose to customize your experience, the point is that seamlessly fitting the outdoors into your routine will relieve pressure and stress, freeing your mind to actively focus on and appreciate how your body functions.<\/p>\n Completely abandoning your phone before leaving the house isn\u2019t always safe or realistic, but you don\u2019t need a full digital detox to feel at peace. Instead, put your phone in Do Not Disturb mode or, at the very least, keep your device out of sight to block the constant influx of curated influencer photos that may trigger toxic comparisons about appearance.<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t listen to podcasts or music either,\u201d Daniels adds. \u201cReally try to be present to the birds chirping, the sun shining, and enjoy that quiet time in nature.\u201d<\/p>\n When you\u2019re having a bad body image day, it can feel nearly impossible to get out of your own head and break the cycle of self-criticism. That\u2019s why disrupting that mental spiral is so important\u2014and one way to do that is anchoring yourself in the physical reality happening in front of you.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve all heard about deeply listening, but take time to deeply look,\u201d says Cynthia Bulik<\/a>, a researcher who studies eating disorders. That can include taking ten uninterrupted minutes to appreciate how a flower moves in the wind or tracking an oddly shaped cloud across the sky. \u201cAllow yourself to experience marvel,\u201d Bulik says, which is something children do all the time. Adults tend to lose this skill when we get too busy and overwhelmed with life, she says.<\/p>\n Even with these intentional adjustments, however, \u201cappearance pressures aren\u2019t really going away,\u201d Daniels says. \u201cThere will always be a new trend, a new message about what we should look like or what product to use.\u201d<\/p>\n This is why finding even small ways to anchor our mental health, like frolicking outdoors or watching the sunset, is especially important.<\/p>\n Want more\u00a0Outside<\/i>\u00a0health stories?\u00a0Sign up for the Bodywork newsletter<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/div>\nHow Does Being Outside Improve Body Image?<\/h2>\n
How to Maximize Your Time Outside to Feel More Confident<\/h2>\n
1. Build Outdoor Time Into Your Schedule<\/h3>\n
2. Resist the Urge to Check Your Phone<\/h3>\n
3. Give Your Brain a Visual Distraction<\/h3>\n