From Scroll to Stroll: Research shows spending time at heritage sites boosts wellness

From Scroll to Stroll: Research shows spending time at heritage sites boosts wellness

Wake up. Scroll. Breakfast. Scroll. Lunch. Scroll. Dinner. Scroll. Bed. Scroll. Does this sound familiar?

 

No matter your age—whether you're 15, 55, or 85—our digital world is woven into the fabric of our daily lives. But don’t worry, this isn’t another article urging you to delete your social media accounts and start a juice cleanse. Instead, we'll explore how to enhance your attention span and incorporate more face-to-face interactions into your routine. Without having to create a dating profile.

 

While social media powers our generation, we know it encourages a sedentary lifestyle, diminishes face-to-face interaction, and sometimes creates a false sense of reality. It's important to embrace social media for its benefits, but finding balance is crucial for our psychological well-being and physical health.

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Research from University College London, conducted five years ago, was one of the first to link heritage sites with mental wellness. It showed that engaging with a heritage site, either as a visitor or a volunteer, often boosts mood and fosters a sense of community—something many of us find increasingly rare in 2024.

 

Sometimes, we experience an overwhelming sensation best described as the Sublime: "a greatness beyond all possibility of calculation, measurement, or imitation." When we stand before a historic house, our awareness expands, granting us perspective. It's not about feeling insignificant, but appreciating the significance of what stands before us. This experience is not about power or diminishment but about understanding and appreciation.

From Scroll to Stroll: Research shows spending time at heritage sites boosts wellness

However, it’s not just the grand houses that have these effects. Lord Neil Mendoza, Chairman of Historic England and Chair of the Culture Heritage and Capital Board at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), said:

 

"For the first time, we have robust economic evidence that heritage makes a significant contribution to people’s quality of life. We all value the role that green spaces play in ensuring wellbeing; this new ground-breaking research shows us that the everyday local heritage found in towns and cities across England plays a comparable and valuable role.”

 

So, why not take a break from the screen and immerse yourself in history? It might just offer the refreshment your mind needs.

esmefranks

Esme Franks

Aug. 7, 2024, 5:08 p.m.

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