The National Trust is giving away fresh air in jars to promote its free weekend on 20 - 21 March. Photos courtesy of National Trust.

The National Trust is offering a free jar of fresh air for stressed office-bound city workers in the UK after its research showed that 70% find escaping the city relaxing.

Its survey on stress showed that sunshine is not enough to lift the population’s spirits, with three quarters (74%) of UK workers admitting they feel stressed on a daily basis.

The study also found that when it comes to lowering stress levels our senses are key, with 72% of those surveyed claiming that seeing the sea was the quickest and most effective stress reliever. This was followed closely by a walk in the countryside at 66%, contact with fresh air at 59% and the sand between our toes at 33%.

Finding that contact with the natural elements can help significantly reduce stress, the National Trust has also come up with the ultimate solution for the office-bound – National Trust fresh air. The fresh air has been captured from rural and coastal locations across the country – including the lake-side scent of Townend on the shores of Lake Windermere in Cumbria, the grass filled blend at Stourhead, Wiltshire and the woodland aroma of Box Hill, Surrey.

Andrew McLaughlin, Head of Communications at the National Trust, said: “With most of us living in an urban environment and having little time to escape to the great outdoors, we thought it was about time the National Trust shared just a fraction of our copious amounts of fresh air with the nation.”

The National Trust fresh air has been collected in recycled glass jars and will give office workers a fragrance for the natural outdoors – thought to relieve stress for up to ten minutes with each 454 gram jar containing 0.42 grams of fresh air.

On a more serious note, the fresh air giveaway is promoting a free weekend on 20 - 21 March 2010, designed to give everyone the opportunity to get some real fresh air. Hundreds of places from castles, windmills and gardens will be opening for free and countryside and coastal car parks cared for by the Trust will also be free of charge over the weekend.

Fiona Reynolds, Director-General of the National Trust, commented: “Our free weekend is the perfect chance to escape the stresses of our busy lives and get outdoors and breathe in some free springtime fresh air or take inspiration from the beauty of any of 300 of our special places.

“We hope many of you with your friends and families will visit us and discover that we really have something for everybody – we are your National Trust – come and spend some bonus time with us.”

To claim your jar of fresh air and find out more about places to visit on the free weekend, visit the National Trust website here ^[1].