What Have We Learned from the Impact of the Pandemic on Our Relationship with Nature? The Importance of Views from Home

Urban residents commonly spend a considerable proportion of their time indoors, and it is, therefore, important to pay particular attention to the characteristics of their home. During the time that humans remain indoors, the only bridge connecting them with the natural environment was through the views from their windows. Studies on the effect of these views have highlighted the restorative effects that nature views can provide, including feelings of calmness and relaxation. Likewise, such views can help better manage stress, anxiety and scape from loneliness, because they make a connection between indoor and outdoor spaces. At a time of lockdown and isolation following the COVID-19 pandemic, window views were for many the only option for contact with the natural environment, which provided significant positive effects. With the aim of assessing the benefits that views can bring to humans, we set out to study the role of views of nature from windows by analysing the GreenCOVID survey, conducted during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Spain, England and Ireland.