Adolescents’ experiences in nature: Sources of everyday well-being

Figures & data

Table 1. Ways of describing experiences in nature in the writings.

Characteristics of experiences in nature	Meanings	Examples from the writings
Spontaneous everyday leisure activities in nature	Spending time in nature as an everyday activity allowed by easy access	“Right next to my home, there are a forest and jogging paths, which I visit daily. Further away from home I visit jogging paths close my previous home and sometimes hiking routes.” (P29, young woman)
Escaping everyday life and becoming fascinated in nature	Breaking away from daily life filled with routines, demands, and social norms, becoming fascinated by natural features	“It is nice to spend time in nature because there you can forget the rest of the world. Especially if I’m somewhere in a forest where I can only hear birdsong, I can forget everything.” (P35, young woman)
Holistic multisensory experiences in nature	Experiencing nature as multisensory via sight, hearing, touch, smell, and taste	“I like to spend time in nature because then I can forget all the hurry and just focus on birdsong and the smell of a forest. In nature the soul rests.” (P18, young woman)
Being together and alone in nature	Sharing nature experiences with friends and family, having positive experiences of solitude	“Usually when I’m in nature, I’m jogging/exercising. Usually I exercise alone, but sometimes I spend time in a group in nature. I spend time in nature daily. Previously I liked to build huts in nature with friends.” (P7, young man)
Calming down and improving mood in nature	Attaining various well-being benefits (especially psychological) from nature	“Breathing in nature is good for the lungs. The air feels fresher. Being in nature refreshes me after a hard school day and otherwise. A small jog in a jogging path also affects thinking; I may get new perspectives to some problem, for example. Jogging in nature also calms. If I’m angry and I go walking in a forest, soon I’ll not remember why I was angry.” (P3, young man)