10 ways nature benefits your mental health
We know that being in nature can have amazing effects on our bodies. We breathe cleaner air, get vitamin D from the sun, and are encouraged to focus on our fitness while enjoying the great outdoors through hiking, cycling, walking, and rock climbing. But what can Mother Nature do for our mental health?
Here are 10 ways being outside benefits your mental health.
1 – Less stress
Research shows that nature has a significant effect on reducing stress levels. Interestingly, these results are evident whether one spends time in nature, looks at nature, or simply listens to the sounds of nature. Any interaction with nature can help reduce stress. The University of Exeter School of Medicine in England studied the mental health data of more than 10,000 residents of the city. Their study found that people who lived near green spaces had less mental distress. These results apply regardless of income, education level, and occupation.
A study was conducted in Sweden to test the effects of viewing natural scenes on reducing stress levels. Subjects were tasked with completing a stressful math task. After the task, they sat through 15 minutes of natural scenes, 15 minutes of non-natural scenes, or 15 minutes in an empty room. Participants who watched nature scenes had the lowest levels of stress.
And finally, a study was conducted in 2013 on the effects of nature sounds. The researchers found that hearing recorded nature sounds had a similar effect on stress levels as viewing pictures of nature or being in nature.
2 – Less mental illness
Living close to and interacting with nature also has the benefit of reducing the incidence of mental health and other physical ailments. In 2009, Dutch researchers found lower rates of depression, anxiety, and migraines in people who lived within half a mile of greenery. In other research, the term "unnatural deprivation" was coined to refer to a lack of time spent in the natural world, often in favor of screen time. Nature deprivation is associated with depression, loss of empathy, lack of altruism, feelings of isolation, and a higher risk of death.
3 - Recovery from mental illness
In addition to alleviating cases of mental illness, nature is also used as a restorative measure for those currently suffering from mental illness. Researchers at Harvard University examined the relationship between exposure to green spaces and mortality among 100,000 female nurses in the United States. They found that people living in the greenest areas had a 12% lower death rate than those in the least green areas. In further research, they found that the main factor in reducing mortality was improved mental health and lower rates of depression.
4 - Assurance
Not only can naturally relieve stress, but it can go a step further and provide a sense of calm. At Snake River Correctional Institution in Oregon, inmates undergo a real-life experiment on the effects of nature. Individual inmates exercise for 40 minutes several times a week in either a room with nature videos playing or a room without videos. Correctional officer Michael Lee describes the surprising impact:
"At first I thought it was crazy. [In a simple gym] there's a lot of yelling that's really loud—it's awfully loud. They tend not to shout in the blue room. They say, 'Wait, I have to watch my video.'"
5 - Increases concentration and attention
Another amazing effect of nature on mental health is nature's ability to increase people's focus and attention. Studies show that those who are exposed to nature, even if they look at a tree from a window, do better in school. The natural environment calms them and sharpens their performance. A 2004 study by Kuo and Taylor found that experiencing nature, including hiking, gardening, and viewing pictures of nature and trees in front of a building, increased attention and efficiency. Improvements in attention were greatest in participants who already suffered from attention disorders. In addition, they found that walking in nature reduced anger, lowered blood pressure, and increased positive affect over walking in an urban environment.
6 - Increases relaxation
Scientists from Japan's Chiba University created a study that looked at the relaxing forces in nature. They had 84 participants for the forest walk and 84 for the downtown walk. Those walking through the woods were noticeably more relaxed than their downtown counterparts. They had a 16% drop in the stress hormone cortisol, a 2% drop in blood pressure, and a 4% drop in heart rate. Scientists believe that we are more relaxed in nature because that is where we evolved. Our senses are adapted to interpret scenes of plants and streams, not traffic and buildings.
7 - Better moods
If nature can increase our peace and relaxation, it stands to reason that it can also improve our mood. A comprehensive study by Maller et al. in 2008 found this to be true. Just by looking at the pictures of nature, the participants were in an uplifted mood.
8 - Increases resistance
Studies have also shown that nature can increase resilience in the midst of life's crises. Resilience is a powerful factor in many illnesses, both mental and physical—people who are more resilient are more likely to believe they can recover, and in fact often do. Studies from 2003 and 2008 found that nature acted as medicine and a resource for people in crisis. People who spent time in nature had improved health and were better able to face their crises.
9 - Increases self-confidence
In 2005, a study was conducted in which participants looked at pictures on a wall while running on a treadmill. The images were pleasant rural photographs, unpleasant rural photographs, pleasant urban photographs, unpleasant urban photographs, and a control group with no photographs. Pleasant urban and rural photographs captured nature and greenery. Finally, the researchers found that the pleasant images, regardless of whether they were in the city or the countryside, had a positive impact on self-esteem beyond the exercise itself.
10 - Increases connection and social interaction
Finally, nature is good for mental health because it promotes connection and social interaction. A healthy social life is essential for mental well-being. Studies at the Human-Environment Research Lab have found that being in nature connects people to each other and to their world. Another study from the University of Illinois showed that people who lived in buildings with greenery knew more people in their community, had stronger bonds with their neighbors, were more interested in helping each other, and had a stronger sense of belonging than those who lived in buildings without greenery. In addition, tenants of green buildings benefited from a reduced risk of crime, lower levels of domestic violence and aggression, and a better ability to cope with life's demands (resilience).
To further prove this point, studies have been conducted using fMRI machines that measure brain activity. When participants viewed natural scenery, parts of the brain associated with empathy and love lit up. Conversely, when they viewed urban scenes, parts of the brain associated with fear and anxiety lit up. Another study was conducted in 2011 that examined the effects of activities such as walking or running in outdoor and indoor environments. Research has found that benefits for people who participate in outdoor activities include "greater feelings of vitality and positive engagement, less tension, confusion, anger and depression, and more energy." ..Participants reported greater enjoyment and satisfaction with the outdoor activity and reported greater intention to repeat the activity later.
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