I was on an early morning bush walk with two friends. Dawn was breaking and the rain that had been bucketing down overnight was now easing off. As we came round a corner on the track, a very large puddle stretched out before us, where a woman stood motionless before it, surveying the water.
“Hi” I said. “Are you waiting for a boat to ferry you across?” She smiled and replied that no, she was merely waiting for the wind to drop so she could take a photograph of the natural reflection of the trees and the sky in the puddle.
Spending time in nature whether to walk or observe your surroundings provides us with multiple opportunities to boost our mental health and wellbeing.
1. Being exposed to trees and other natural vegetation is calming. Your blood pressure drops as do your cortisol levels, the stress hormone that’s often too high when we are exposed to severe chronic stress. The same is true for blue space or water. Having the two together, in my mind, is an added bonus.
2. Time in nature provides soft focus, reducing mental and cognitive fatigue. This is perfect if you need a break because you’ve been working hard and spending too many hours in front of a screen. A 20-minute walk is ideal to restore your mental energy. It also provides you the headspace we often deny ourselves for self- reflection. Getting away from it all, doesn’t have to be a hike into the wilderness. Going outside for a short walk in a green space at lunchtime is ideal.
3. Green space puts you in a more positive mood. This is the natural counterbalance to those distressing symptoms of anxiety or depression that can get you down. And how much better to experience more positive emotion from simply being outside, rather than having to take medication. I’m not saying that nature exposure is always enough, but the research is in; following a healthy diet and being more physically active is as effective, cheaper and more readily accessible than having to wait for an appointment with a psychotherapist, psychologist or psychiatrist when dealing with mild depression.
Eye tracking data in a recent study also showed that focusing on green elements when outside helps to alleviate anxiety symptoms more than looking at images of buildings. Here you can imagine how going for a walk in nature with your therapist focusing on looking at trees, flowers and vegetation could be a useful adjunct to your recovery.
4. Slowing down to notice nature around you provokes curiosity and engages your sense of awe and wonder. Observing nature’s beauty, simplicity and complexity helps you to be more outward looking, connecting you to the world at large and invoking a sense of inner peace. This also works to reduce anger and hostility.
5. Physical activity, especially aerobic exercise is known to reduce symptoms of depression. This is believed to work by reducing levels of inflammation in the body which is turn is implicated in the brain’s reward circuitry, particularly motivation to continue with what you’re doing. Combining physical activity such as walking, jogging or cycling in nature not only makes you feel better in yourself it also helps bring greater clarity to your thinking, so you find better solutions to the challenges you may be facing.
Now you have five good reasons to know why spending time outside in nature is good for your mental health, assisting in recovery, and keeping you well at the same time.
How do you like to spend time outside?
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#thenaturaladvantage
