Time Well Spent: The Science Behind Why Countryside and Happiness

At Wagstaff Watches, we've always known there's something special about countryside life. Now science is proving what Albert Wagstaff understood instinctively over a century ago.

The Great Outdoors Revelation

Picture this: 20,000 people across Britain, going about their daily lives, when their phones ping with a simple question: "How happy are you right now?" This happened a million times over six months in a fascinating 2013 study that GPS-tracked whether people were inside or outside when they answered.

The results? Those outdoors were "significantly and substantially happier" than their indoor counterparts.

For us at Wagstaff Watches, this wasn't news – it was validation. Albert Wagstaff knew this in 1923 when he looked around at his farming friends and saw people who, despite the hard graft, possessed a contentment that city folk seemed to chase but rarely catch.

More Than Just a Good Feeling

Research by Kaplan, Jonides, and Berman took this further. They had people walk through either a lush green arboretum or downtown through grey city streets, then tested their mental performance on challenging tasks.

The nature walkers? Significantly faster and more accurate.

Charles Spence calls this "the nature effect" in his book Sensehacking, and it explains why our customers – farmers at dawn, ghillies on Highland estates, shooters in quiet woods – often speak about the clarity that comes with outdoor work. Your mind sharpens when nature is your office.

The Healing Power of Green Views

Perhaps most remarkably, researcher Ulrich discovered that hospital patients recovered faster from gallbladder surgery simply by having a window overlooking nature rather than a brick wall. The mere sight of trees and greenery accelerated physical healing.

This speaks to something Albert understood deeply: we're not separate from the natural world – we're part of it

(with great thanks to Phill Agnew and his wonderful podcast NUDGE - for the inspiration for this blog.)