LONDON — For baseball fans, Opening Day is here, putting many people in their “happy place” as beautiful ballparks open across the United States. However, a new poll finds plenty of people have a happy place that has nothing to do with peanuts and Cracker Jack. In fact, Gen Z is in their happy place watching a sunset – while older generations are most content walking along the coast, strolling through the countryside, or sitting in a garden.
Millennials, however, are most likely happy cuddling up with the kids or relaxing in their own garden. The poll of 2,000 adults in the United Kingdom, commissioned by Cotswold Outdoor, found seven in 10 have happy places, averaging three different spots, which put a smile on their faces.
A whopping 93 percent of adults have a happy place that is outdoors, with older respondents feeling most at peace when exploring the great outdoors – with the beach (45%) and a countryside walk (39%) among their favorites.
“A happy place can mean different things to different people, but for many, it relates to the outdoors,” says Cotswold Outdoor ambassador and conscious living advocate Elinor Fay in a statement.
“The results from this research suggest that while all age groups have a love of the outdoors, this connection deepens as you age. It’s great to see a love of the outdoors is widely shared across generations. The benefits of being outdoors are numerous and well documented – it’s incredible for your mental and physical well-being. With the weather warming up, it’s the perfect opportunity for people to spend more time outdoors.”
The study also found that 49 percent of all adults feel it’s very important to them to have a happy place to escape to – for the sake of their mental well-being. Of those who have at least one happy place, 59 percent said most or all of their secret escapes are in the great outdoors.
Specifically, 73 percent enjoy exploring the outdoors in places they’ve never been before, from simple country walks to hiking up hills. It also emerged that 64 percent feel healthier when they spend time outside, and 54 percent believe it gives their mental health a boost.
Another 54 percent feel more connected to nature, while 35 percent believe it helps them “disconnect” from the chaos of daily life. On average, adults escape to their happy place nine times a month – with Boomers and older adults disconnecting most often and Millennials the least.
To get the most out of their time away, the typical adult stays in their happy place for 66 minutes to maximize its benefits, according to the research carried out by OnePoll. If they can’t get there as often as they’d like, 18 percent feel frustrated, and 15 percent are annoyed.
SWNS writer Richard Jenkins contributed to this report.