How Access To Green Space Impacts Our Sleep, Metabolism & More

There are a few reasons this could be the case: One, green features like trees can help reduce harmful air and noise pollution. Simply looking out at greenery has also been associated with a more positive mood and less stress1. So, if you're able to position your desk to look out onto a tree-lined street or public park, consider this your green light. (Read the research here2.)

"Our findings suggest that loss of our urban green and blue spaces due to rapid urbanization may not just have an environmental impact but could have a public health impact as well," study author Adithya Vegaraju said in a statement. (Read the research here3.)

In other news, having access to more green space may also improve your sleep quality—due in part to nature's effect on mood and mental health, as well as its ability to regulate temperature. New research out of Korea found that adults who lived in greener urban areas tended to have a lower risk of mild to severe sleep deprivation—though the link was stronger in men than women. (Read the research here4.)

A new study pokes a hole in that assumption. It found that people who live within walking distance of a park in Baltimore City, Maryland, didn't necessarily visit it more frequently. Instead, how often they went to the park correlated to how safe they thought the park was. This underlines the importance of not only reserving but also maintaining green space in urban areas for the sake of population health. (Read the research here5.)

Whether it's doctors discussing the impacts of climate change with their patients, office workers securing composting for their building, or stay-at-home parents discussing climate with their kids, each of us can bring unique value to this movement. To kick off this year, consider how you can turn your job into more of a "climate job" in the year ahead. Because the future of our planet doesn't rest solely in the hands of scientists or legislators—we'll all have a role to play.