LAST WORD
Eudaimonic
Could there be a way to extend the benefits of a ride?
WORDS HANNAH
The curse of ‘one last run’ or the last lap is well known. You should never say you’re going for one last run: that way lies disaster, A&E, and broken components. However, I think I may have found the solution…
At the recent Trash Free Trails Summit I heard a lecture by Dr Emma Pope who studies nature as a transformative setting that can help bring purpose and benefit to our lives.
She identifies that there are hedonic and eudaimonic forms of activity. Hedonic experiences are short-lived and generate pleasure, but eudaimonic experiences are associated with purpose and generate pleasure that is long-lasting. She posits that both hedonic and eudaimonic forms of activity contribute to well-being, but it is eudaimonic experiences that create a better connection with nature. These, she thinks, are the most impactful if we are to take back to our daily lives the benefits of the experience of being in nature.