We live a face-paced and stressful life. We spend much time virtually connected and disconnected from the real world. Together, these factors contribute to diminished physical and emotional well-being. Our lifestyle choice impacts our nervous, endocrine, and immune systems work, so we often feel anxious, our blood pressure and heart rate are elevated, and we tense our muscles. Our immune system is weakened, and we are more likely to pick up illnesses.
We can change all this by changing our environment. We can take ourselves into nature and heal; it doesn’t even have to be hard. Even if all you do is get out in your backyard, feeding garden birds, you can feel better. Let’s explore why spending time in nature is good for us.
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1. The Healing Power Of Nature
Studies show that more than two-thirds of people retreat to a natural setting when they need to recuperate. Rather than head for a city break, people take to rural areas to feel the healing power of big open skies.
On one level, being surrounded by nature grounds us. We feel a natural reduction in negative emotions such as anger, fear, and stress. We are more likely to be drawn into our senses and away from our analytical mind, which leads us to create fears and worries and ruminate on them. Even a plant in a room has been proven by researchers to positively impact harmful emotional states and bring us back to balance.
Our minds and bodies are interconnected. Therefore, this reduction in our stress levels has a direct impact on our physical well-being too. We will find that our blood pressure and heart rate reduce, and we relax our muscles. In short, we can relax in our surroundings, and the sense of threat has gone.
2. Nature Restores Us
It is not just that negativity is lifted from our lives in nature. Nature has the power to restore us to a better state of mind and body. Mind conducted research and found that nearly 100% of people felt their mood improved in nature, as they felt a positive outlook amongst the trees and plants. Other studies suggest we find it easier to feel a sense of meaningfulness when we are surrounded by the natural world.
A study of children with ADHD found that the attention span of young people increased when outside. It appears that our world provides enough stimulation for them and that it is being indoors, confined, that stresses them.
Physically, the natural world encourages us to move more. We are more likely to walk from place to place, taking in the beautiful views. We might partake in sports and adventures, so we restore our bodies and mind. If we lived in nature more, we would undoubtedly be fitter.
We would likely breathe fresher air in the countryside and get more natural light. Both factors are proven to help mentally and physically.
3. Nature Connects Us
In the US, researchers have explored the impact of planting more greenery in city housing projects. If a community has more green spaces, it has been found that there is more unity among the people. The researchers found that people were likelier to be concerned about others and want to help. In short, a sense of belonging reduced many of the problems of urban living that plague cities such as Chicago.
Why does this happen? Well, scans of brains show that when we view scenes of nature, the parts of our brain associated with love and empathy light up. It seems we associate nature with connection in our core.
4. It Is The Opposite That Is So Damaging.
While we don’t have to move to the deepest rural retreat, we need a better balance. The damage is done due to a deprivation of natural settings associated with the time we spend in front of the television or on our computers. Staring into the blue light of our screens is detrimental to our mental and physical health, and we begin to lose that connection that keeps us from loneliness and isolation.
Therefore, it is not just that nature heals us; it is that being too focused on our technical lives is damaging us. We can have both, and finding the balance is crucial to our well-being. We must find more time to get out into nature and be soothed by it.
Summary
Nature is a resource we should cherish more. We are too quick to eat into it with our concrete and tarmac. Each time we steal a bit of the greenery from our world, we reduce the space we need to heal and find that connection that makes life meaningful.
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