‘Touch Grass’ Is Actually a Great Piece of Advice

For a while now, “touch grass” has been an excellent burn to direct at terminally online gamers and trolls, a biting, succinct way of telling them to put down the controller and get outside and argue with a tree for a change.

As an added bonus, a recent meta-analysis of 28 studies has now confirmed that it’s legitimately good health advice as well, as spending time outside can reduce blood pressure, decrease symptoms of depression and anxiety and encourage more physical activity. 

In terms of how long you need to touch grass to see a benefit, past data suggests that two hours a week spent in nature is optimal.

“The evidence shows that nature prescriptions can help to restore and build capacities for better physical and mental health,” lead author Xiaoqi Feng explained in a press release. “What we need now is to work out how to make nature prescriptions happen in a sustained way for those people with high potential to benefit, but who currently spend little time in nature.”

Perhaps in the future then, “touch grass” won’t just be a sick burn, it’ll be something doctors scribble down on a prescription pad, too.