The positive impacts of spending time in nature.
The natural world has a profound impact on our wellbeing, both mental and physical. Mental Health Awareness Week falls this year from the 10th to the 16th of May, celebrating the theme of ‘nature and its effects on our mental health’.
Spending time in nature is known to reduce levels of stress and improve attention fatigue more than in built-up environments, such as bustling towns and cities. Nature is a very broad term and includes green spaces such as parks, forests, verges, trees on an urban street and even your indoor plant collection, and blue spaces, like rivers, beaches and canals. You can even experience these wellbeing ‘boosts’ from nature exposure from the comfort of your sofa, as a recent study has found that watching nature documentaries can reduce boredom, improve our mood and reduce stress.
Spending time in green spaces is closely linked to reduced risk of mental health problems, improved mood, increased life satisfaction, reduced stress and better physical health. Being able to observe wildlife such as bird watching in a garden can improve feelings of wellbeing, relaxation and connection to nature. WWF have recommended various ways to connect with nature to help your mental health, including growing your own vegetables, listening to birds and exploring new places.
The effects of Covid-19
Over the past year, the phrase ‘unprecedented times’ has been used more times than we can count. The pandemic has resulted in drastic changes in people’s everyday lives, including the implementation of social distancing and lockdown measures. Understandably, these measures, as well as the economic regression caused by the pandemic, have had profound effects on the mental health and wellbeing of people across the planet. More adults have reported specific negative impacts such as difficulty sleeping and eating, substance use and worsening chronic conditions due to increased stress caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. It has been reported that young adults have been most adversely affected by the pandemic. The closure of educational institutions and loss of income have contributed to a regression in mental health in younger people. Adults between the ages of 18 and 24 are 26% more likely to report suicidal thoughts, and 56% more likely to report symptoms of anxiety and/or depressive disorder due to the pandemic.
Nature has been a saving grace throughout these ‘unprecedented times’. Governments around the world have recognised the importance of the natural world and exercising for our wellbeing, providing us with opportunities to exercise and explore outside even in the harshest of lockdown conditions. Research conducted by the Mental Health Foundation in collaboration with the University of Cambridge, Swansea University and others showed that going for walks outside during the pandemic has been one of the top coping strategies, with 45% of people in the UK reporting that being in green spaces was vital for their mental health. More people have also reported noticing nature, and have recognized that this new connection with nature was essential in improving their mental wellbeing.
Blue Health.
Now that coronavirus appears to be levelling, we’re able to travel and holiday while still following regulations and current government guidance. This new lease of freedom has seen increased travel to coastal areas, hiking up the prices of seaside holiday lets.
Blue Health is the concept that links bodies of water, such as the ocean and other urban blue spaces, to its impacts on our physical and mental health. It is thought that spending time around these blue spaces can help with stress, depression and anxiety and even the prevention of disease. The colour blue alone is enough to relieve stress and encourage feelings of calm and relaxation. This concept could explain why seaside towns have seen a surge in tourism in the troughs of the pandemic.
Sea, or wild swimming, has also been linked to a multitude of health benefits. It is thought that spending time swimming in nature boosts your immune system by producing more white blood cells, reduces stress levels through the activation of endorphins and can even increase your fertility.
Forests.
Spending time amongst towering trees, ferns and shrubs in forest environments is also beneficial for our mental health. Studies have shown that spending even as little as 15 minutes walking in a forest can result in decrease symptoms of anxiety and depression and an increase in the ability to recover from stress. Spending time in a forest can decrease levels of cortisol and adrenaline; both reducing our stress levels and increasing the effectiveness of our immune system.
The practice of shinrin-yoku or ‘forest bathing’ was named in 1982 by Tomohide Akiyama, and is a type of eco-therapy centred around spending more time in natural environments; gaining benefits from the calming effects of forests. This therapy, originally developed in Japan, involves taking in the forest atmosphere, creating calming neuro-psychological effects through reductions in cortisol levels in the body. The practice of shinrin-yoku has been connected with reduced stress, anger, anxiety and depression.
Nature inside our homes
Caring for any living thing, including houseplants and plants in your own garden, can boost attentiveness and reduce anxiety. Caring for plants results in an increased release of endorphins, making us feel soothed and relaxed.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, there has been a boom in houseplant sales across the world. Patch plants told the Telegraph that they’d seen a 500% increase in sales during the first national lockdown, and garden centres saw houseplant sales soar an additional 22.8%. Surveys conducted in 2020 during the first national lockdown found that 43% of houseplant buyers noted reduced stress levels since bringing more houseplants into their homes and that people who cared for and spoke to their houseplants were 3.5x more likely to show reduced stress during the pandemic. Forming a bond between yourself and your plants creates a connection with nature, and this ‘plant parent’ relationship, forming a bond with another living thing, has understandably been a source of happiness and comfort during an otherwise lonely and isolating time.
Further reading:
Emily Gilford
“Masters graduate in Biosciences, with special interests in animal behaviour and blue health. Keen wildlife photographer and Editor at Bloom in Doom Magazine. “
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