Why You Literally Need to Touch Grass

Why You Literally Need to Touch Grass

From Office Hours with Arthur Brooks by Arthur Brooks

April 20, 2026 · 33 min

About this episode

Arthur Brooks discusses the importance of reconnecting with nature for mental health and well-being.

In a previous episode on leisure , I talked about how fewer and fewer people are spending time outdoors. Today, the average child spends just minutes outside each day, a dramatic shift from how most of us grew up and from how humans have lived for thousands of years. In today’s episode of Office Hours , I explain why reconnecting with nature is essential for your happiness and well-being. Drawing on research from psychology and neuroscience, I show how time outdoors can reduce anxiety and depression, improve cognitive function, and even help you break free from the constant cycle of comparison and rumination. You might think your life is not compatible with spending more time outside. But the evidence suggests the opposite: you can’t afford not to. I share with you three practical ways to bring nature back into your daily life. I hope you try them and get outside to touch some grass! — Brought to you by: Noble Mobile —With Noble, there is only one plan: The No-Bull Plan. It’s simple. It’s transparent. And if you use less data, you get cash back. Get an exclusive offer at: https://noblemobile.com/arthurbrooks — Where to find Arthur Brooks: • Website…

People in this episode

Host: Arthur Brooks

Topics covered

  • nature
  • mental health
  • outdoor activity
  • happiness
  • well-being

Keywords

  • touch grass
  • outdoors
  • anxiety
  • depression
  • cognitive function
  • nature therapy
  • happiness

Sponsors

Noble Mobile

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Noble

Places: nature, outdoors

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