Nature as medicine
“I go to nature to be soothed, healed and have my senses put in order.” John Burroughs
Time in nature is a powerful way to reduce stress, improve health and wellbeing, and even heal from injury and trauma.
It's something we have done as humans since the beginning of existence, and over recent years science has discovered exactly how and why getting out into nature is just so good for us.
Research consistently shows that people who have regular access to natural environments (parks, forests, and 'green spaces') have significantly lower rates of mental illness; and children are up to 55% less likely to develop mental illness as an adult if they grow up with easy access to green spaces.
Blue space’ (being near water) has a similar effect - being close to the beach reduces rates of mental illness, improved physical health, and even reduced rates of death.
And you don't have to live in the country to get these benefits- one large study of over 20,000 people found that just spending just 2 hours a week in green spaces (which included urban parks as well as rural areas) were substantially more likely to report good health and psychological well-being than those who didn’t.
When we spend time in nature, it switches off our 'fight or flight' nervous system, reduces our stress hormone (cortisol levels) by up to 60%, and also reduces adrenaline and noradrenaline levels (other stress hormones). Our sleep improves, our mood lifts and even our self confidence and sense of wellbeing improves. Just 5 minutes in nature improves our self esteem and mood.
Time in nature also helps our physical health - it reduces blood pressure, improves blood sugar control in people with diabetes, makes us less likely to have heart issues, and even reduces pain levels!
It's thought that nature affects us due to a variety of different ways.
Fractals (geometric shapes found in nature such as the shape of leaves, clouds, ocean waves and even ) alter our brain function when we look at them. Functional MRI scans show that when we view fractals, our brains produce 'alpha' brainwaves that make us feel relaxed. Fractals also activate parts of our brain that help us concentrate, regulate emotions and even boost our memory.
Natural environments don't require as much of our attention either - they are less busy, and we don't need to multitask and attention switch as often as we do in urban environments. This means they're far less stimulating and tiring for our brain, allowing us to rest and recover from mental fatigue.
Some experts believe that since our ancestors evolved in wild settings and relied on the environment for survival, we also have an innate drive to connect with nature.
There is a lesser known bonus to nature too - some trees emit invisible chemicals (phytoncides) that reduce stress hormones, lower blood pressure and improve immunity!
These things all combine to provide massive benefits for our body and mind.
Studies comparing being in nature vs urban environments consistently show that nature boosts our mood, reduces, stress levels, and helps us concentrate and perform better. When we're in nature our memory improves, and we even recover faster from surgery or injury! In people with Alzheimers dementia, spending time in nature improves memory and reduces symptoms. Most importantly, when we are regularly in contact with nature over the long term, we feel more positive and satisfied with our life, work and home.
Nature is also important to consider for urban planning, as cities with more trees and green spaces have lower crime rates and healthier inhabitants. Having more green areas in cities can also help to counteract the negative effects of socio-economic deprivation (ie poverty), as areas with the greenest environments also have the lowest levels of socio-economic health inequality (lower illness and death rates in relation to poverty rates).
While having access to nature appears to at least partly counteract the negative effects of social isolation (loneliness). This means advocating for environments that promote good health can potentially help reduce socioeconomic health inequalities.
Being in nature makes us kinder too - in one study elementary school children acted more pro-socially to classmates and strangers after a field trip to a nature school than they did after a visit to an aviation museum
Studies of psychiatric units have found that access to nature reduced feelings of isolation, promoted calm, and lifted mood among patients; while people in hospital recovering from injury or surgery heal faster and need less pain relief if they have a view of nature.
Researchers are now looking at whether looking at pictures or videos of nature can also help for people who don't have easy access to natural environments, and have found these have similar beneficial effects on our body and mind, due to the fractal patterns they contain. In one study, just looking at a roof covered in green plants for 40 seconds part way through the test, resulted in better scores and less mistakes than looking at a concrete roof. Similar results have been found with nature sounds and test scores.
In New Zealand we are incredibly lucky to be surrounded by beautiful beaches, rivers, forests and mountains- so why not try a nature prescription today!
REFERENCES:
Mireia Gascon, Wilma Zijlema, Cristina Vert, Mathew P. White, Mark J. Nieuwenhuijsen, Outdoor blue spaces, human health and well-being: A systematic review of quantitative studies, International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health, Volume 220, Issue 8,2017,Pages 1207-1221
White, M.P., Alcock, I., Grellier, J. et al. Spending at least 120 minutes a week in nature is associated with good health and wellbeing. Sci Rep 9, 7730 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-44097-3
Cartwright, B.D.S.; White, M.P.; Clitherow, T.J. Nearby Nature ‘Buffers’ the Effect of Low Social Connectedness on Adult Subjective Wellbeing over the Last 7 Days. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2018, 15, 1238. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph15061238
Raelyne L. Dopko, Colin A. Capaldi, John M. Zelenski,The psychological and social benefits of a nature experience for children: A preliminary investigation, Journal of Environmental Psychology, Volume 63, 2019, Pages 134-138, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2019.05.002.
Mayer, F. S., Frantz, C. M., Bruehlman-Senecal, E., & Dolliver, K. (2009). Why Is Nature Beneficial?: The Role of Connectedness to Nature. Environment and Behavior, 41(5), 607–643. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013916508319745
Kristine Engemann, Carsten Bøcker Pedersen, Lars Arge Jens-Christian Svenning et al. Residential green space in childhood is associated with lower risk of psychiatric disorders from adolescence into adulthood. PNAS, February 25, 2019, 116 (11) 5188-5193. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1807504116
Gregory N. Bratman et al. Nature and mental health: An ecosystem service perspective.Sci. Adv.5,eaax0903(2019).DOI:10.1126/sciadv.aax0903
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