I would imagine that most of the folks who read this blog also live in roughly the same region, the metro east area of Illinois. Many of us root for the Cardinals and the Blues, and we enjoy other St. Louis-area things, like toasted ravioli. Many of us are also either surrounded by or decently close to nature. Did you know that being in nature is actually associated with good mental health, though? I grew up interested in hunting, but my favorite thing about it was going into the woods before dawn. When you’re completely still in the dark, you have a chance to hear some of the larger animals moving around, like deer, raccoons, possums, coyotes, or even bobcats. As it starts to become visible, the birds wake up and start chirping and moving around. Then pretty soon the squirrels start to come down from the trees to run around. If you’ve managed to remain still the whole time, you get to witness all of the noises and activity of nature. It is incredibly relaxing, especially as the sun starts to come up and the colors of the woods get put on display. It’s an amazing experience, but it’s also healing.
I found an article* by Kirsten Weir on the American Psychological Association’s website. She discusses the numerous benefits that nature has on our mental health. First of all, it doesn’t just boost our mood, but it might also boost our brainpower. Living near “green spaces” is associated with better self-control in kids, and improved attention and working memory in adults. Exposure to nature can also be refreshing when we are tired or mentally exhausted. Even the sounds of nature, like crickets or waves can improve our focus on particularly demanding tasks, especially compared to city noises like traffic or restaurants.
In terms of happiness, Weir* shows studies in which exposure to nature is associated with, “increases in happiness, subjective well-being, positive affect, positive social interactions and a sense of meaning and purpose in life, as well as decreases in mental distress.” I especially want to note that part about an increase in purpose. Dr. Viktor Frankl, holocaust survivor and creator of a mental health therapy called, Logotherapy, suggests that having meaning is not just essential in finding happiness, but it is essential to our very survival. Weir also references a huge study in Denmark with over 900,000 participants that was conducted over a period of 18 years. They found that those who grew up in green spaces had a reduced risk of a variety of different mental health disorders. In fact, those who grew up in areas with the least amount of green space had a 55% higher risk of developing a mental health disorder.
How much nature time is enough? The answer isn’t clear, but one study* showed that people who had 2 “recreational” hours of time in nature reported better health and wellbeing the next week, even when they had chronic health problems. Further studies suggest that a sense of feeling connected to nature also has health benefits.
The best benefits of time in nature* seem to be in protected areas with high biodiversity, and it also points out the benefits of “blue spaces” (large bodies of water), However, this article references studies in which people look at pictures of nature or watch videos of nature and still show benefits of this exposure. My takeaway from this is that a trip to a national park or staring at the ocean might be top-tier in terms of healing benefits of nature, but walking through a city park or strolling through the woods near your house is still a nice boost to wellbeing. So, in the kindest way possible, I’d like to invite you to turn off your phone and take a hike.
*https://www.apa.org/monitor/2020/04/nurtured-nature