Connecting With Nature: Embracing The Mental Health Benefits
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In This Article You Will Find.
Connecting with nature is never a waste of time.
Spending time in the great outdoors somehow always finds its way to recharge our batteries, feed our souls, and clear our heads. I was always curious about its effect, especially when it comes to our mental health. When I walk in the forest it always makes me feel relaxed and recharged. That inspired me to think about my views toward nature, reconsider my ideas about it, and trying out ways of how to restore my connection with it.
Nowadays, when everyday life runs fast, I, and probably you too, spend most of our days indoors. Sitting behind the desk at work, binge-watching our favourite series in front of the TV, or simply doing home chores. But what if we stop for a moment to get a breath of fresh air?
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Getting back to basics by connecting with nature can be your best ally to improve mental health.
You may have heard about the benefits of physical exercise: lowering the probability of heart disease and high blood pressure and improving the immune system and brain function. Well, those benefits double when the exercise is done in a natural environment. The positive effect of the time spent in nature extends to the point of finding your inner peace and improving your mental health.
When I started this journey to learn more about the mental health benefits of nature, I realised how my mood was changing within minutes of stepping foot into the woods.
First, I felt my heart rate slowing down its pace, making me feel more relaxed and calm. It cleared my mind and let me focus on the little things that actually matter. I felt distressed, and when our stress levels go down, rest hours, creativity, and overall happiness go up!
Connecting With Nature Can Help Find Your Mental Balance
I want to share a list of five mental health benefits of nature that I discovered in my research journey. Plus some tips to get you inspired on how to disconnect from the digital world and reconnect with the natural.
I hope reading this will make you switch your devices and take a hike at your nearest park. As the great Pythagoras once said: “Leave the roads, take the trails.”
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Nature’s Power Can Reduce Your Stress Levels
Let’s start with the most common enemy of the modern world – stress.
Whether it is from work pressure, family issues, marital problems, or simply parenting hits you hard, stress can be overwhelming. That comes as no surprise with all the internal and external expectations society has for us to be as productive and efficient as possible and to work to the maximum every day.
All these actions will make your cortisol level drop – the primary stress hormone that affects your overall well-being. When it comes to connecting with nature, simply seeking natural elements such as plants, trees, and grass can reduce stress through the automatic generation of physiological and psychological responses.
So, whenever you feel drained and want to improve your mental health, the best thing to do is turn to nature for support. Nature will sort out how to provide comfort and cheer you up with its perfect imperfections.
2. Fight Fatigue And Anxiety By Connecting With Nature
Whenever I feel fatigued, tired, or unmotivated to do pretty much anything, I find it really helpful to expose myself to nature. Escape the daily hustle and bustle that puts me down and let the wilderness nurture my mind. Walking around the forest, or forest bathing for short, neutralises all my negative thoughts and struggles and shifts my energy into doing something positive.
Do you practise mindfulness as a way to combat fatigue? Maybe you can unroll your yoga mat in the park or your garden to get the all-inclusive package of well-being: sunshine, fresh air, physical exercise, or, as I call it – the magic trio of the wilderness.
Did you know Earth has the power to absorb all your negative energy when you walk barefoot on the ground? Just imagine that greatness and selflessness. So, the next time you feel those lethargic feelings coming your way, you might want to try taking your shoes and socks off and take a stroll in the park.
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3. Connecting With Nature Promotes Better Cognition, Concentration And Creativity
Nowadays, when we are surrounded by technology, I sometimes feel like being glued to my phone and computer. Although these small devices are a complete revolution, I tend to forget how much they have distanced me from other pleasures. I have discovered that, after a hard-working day, instead of scrolling my phone screen and doing nothing, I go out! Whether that is my garden, the closest park, or the forest (when I have more time at my disposal), I turn to nature.
Connecting with nature helped me clear my mind and reset it for the next day. I started searching for the connection between nature and cognition and discovered how natural environments can help us be more open to creativity and problem-solving. The study shows how exposure to a natural environment can turn your curiosity on, improve your memory, and promote cognitive flexibility, inhibition and the ability to multitask.
This suggests that getting away from urban everyday life and noise and dedicating ourselves to walking routes in a natural environment is a great option to find solutions to the problems that require our utmost attention, creativity, and concentration. Bear that in mind next time you take your lunch break at work and choose to have your meal outside in the nearest park while letting nature do its magic.
4. Green Spaces Will Naturally Boost Your Mood
We all have bad days, right? Do you know that feeling when you become moody and upset because exhaustion hit you hard that day?
Whenever I find myself in that mood, of course, the first thing that comes to my mind is grabbing a cup of coffee, procrastinating on my tasks, and scrolling on Vinted to find the next bargain, agonising over how to cope with whatever is bothering me. I have realised that not only do I lose time and motivation to get on the right track, but I also feel worse about myself.
Nature helped me find another solution: I spend time outdoors.
The choice of what to do is up to my level of moodiness. If I feel like I need to blow out some steam, I always turn to the forest. There’s nothing I love more than going on walks with my family, and setting up relaxing picnics where everybody relaxes and has fun.
When I have the luxury of time, I like to go camping, and I’m even planning a special caravan experience with my parents!
Of course, connecting with nature can sometimes be quite effortless. In cases where I need a quick pick-me-up, I simply focus on the sound of the birds, touching the ground below, and embracing the warmth the sun provides.
As for my kids, I never worried about them getting dirty. I simply let them explore the bugs, bushes and trees, and ask millions of questions. That way, I arouse their creativity and imagination and teach them about the power of nature. I guide them on how to take care of it and enlighten them on how rewarding that can be. We always come back home tired but happy.
According to studies, green areas help us achieve greater life satisfaction, better overall mood, and positive body image. Studies show that natural settings increase activity in the regions of our brain, which is associated with the ability to have a positive mental outlook, emotional stability, and empathy. In other words, by taking your kids outdoors, you are actually teaching them how to be better people. And that is exactly what this world needs!
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5. Nature Gives You Time To Think And Reflect.
One of the biggest mental health benefits of nature is the power of reflection. At some point, we all need to find the time to detach ourselves from the screens, media, and social networks, from the opinions of others, from our overbearing tasks and everything that concerns us. And the wilderness is the perfect surrounding for this. It’s amazing how it allowed me to reflect, think, relax, and be more creative and productive. I believe the power of nature can enable us to put aside all our negative thoughts, self-doubts, and expectations and help us find our inner peace.
6. The Trees’ Natural Oils Will Lower Your Stress
Ever wondered why everyone tells us to breathe deeply whenever we’re in a forest? Naturally, you do this, and by some exquisite happenstance, you immediately feel better and more at ease!
Well, you’d have to thank the trees’ natural oils for that. Formally known as phytoncides, these oils have the ability to lower cortisol levels, which is our primary stress hormone.
With that in mind, the reason why you feel less anxious and stressed after walking in the forest is mainly because of these oils. For that reason, whenever you feel like your foul mood will get the best of you, simply turn to nature - it will do all the de-stressing for you.
People’s Innate Tendency To Connect With Nature
At some point in my research journey about connecting with nature, an interesting question came to my mind. Where does the desire to get out into nature come from? What underlies the pleasure we feel when looking at a beautiful landscape, hearing a bird sing, or smelling a flower?
The concept of biophilia answered my questions.
It was first used by the psychologist and philosopher Erich Fromm to refer to ‘the love of life and everything living’. Later, the biologist Edward O. Wilson adopted the concept in his book ‘Biophilia’ where he established the biophilia hypothesis pointing out that the ability to marvel and connect with nature and other life forms that surround us is an innate tendency, genetically present in human beings. The reason for that lies in our entire evolution that occurred in the middle of - and thanks to - nature itself!
Think of it this way: if it weren’t for our innate attraction and curiosity, the flight mechanism of birds would never have been studied and aeroplanes would not exist. So, genetically we would be coded to feel attraction for life because this has been the key to our adaptation. Nature is (and always has been) indispensable for human beings from an evolutionary, cognitive, intellectual, aesthetical, and even spiritual point of view.
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Maybe the most fascinating thing about the hypothesis is that it comprehensively covers the different dimensions of the human being. Does the pleasure we feel when in contact with nature have an evolutionary purpose or a spiritual motivation? Or perhaps both go hand in hand and what matters is the relationship itself. The fact (whether ecological or psychological) that we only exist - humans and nature - in interconnection and that biodiversity is fundamental for life.
The bottom line here is connecting with nature already exists in all of us. Finding a way to extend and reinforce that connection can have nothing but a good impact on our overall health.
Tips And Tricks You Can Use To Find Peace In Nature
Next, I want to share with you my way of connecting with nature. This is what I do to bring it closer to me so I can fully enjoy all the benefits that come from it.
Forget About The Numbers
When visiting a natural environment, whether that is a walk in the park or a hike in the forest, I always tend to experience it without haste. I forget about the clock, the number of tasks left for the day, or the number of steps I must pass to reach my daily goal. Nature taught me that it deserves my full attention and care.
Keep All Senses Open
What I’m trying to learn is experiencing nature differently and when I’m surrounded by greenery, I surrender to it completely, activating all my senses. I feel the fresh air on my skin. I marvel at the natural scenery with eyes wide open. Then I close my eyes to concentrate on the sounds to hear the wind rustle through the trees or the birds’ chirping melodies. I breathe in and smell the scent of the season. I try to blend with the environment and feel like part of it while walking slowly and soaking up every moment spent there.
Explore Gardening
Did you know that the activity of tending plants is associated with the release of endorphins and oxytocin – hormones that increase feelings of well-being? Gardening has a calming effect on our bodies and can have rewarding effects on our mental health. You don’t have to go over the board to feel the benefits – planting seeds in your window box will do the trick as well. Or being part of a community vegetable garden.
Photo Credit: Jaina Pearson / unsplash.com
Connecting With Nature Has A Magic Power For Our Mental Health
I hope I managed to grab your curiosity about connecting with nature as it has grabbed mine. Because once you become aware of its ‘magical’ power, you will see it from another perspective and learn how to respect it more (at least that was my case).
Once I found out the mental health benefits of nature related to cognition, concentration, stress, and anxiety, I realised how grateful and caring we should be towards it. We could all find the time in this modern world to distance ourselves from screens and gadgets that only deprive us of this free resource that brings out the best in us. Because nature gives us everything, but takes nothing.
As ‘the father of the national parks’ John Muir once said: In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks.
Keep on reading my blogs to find out how to get the most out of nature.
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