You’re sitting at home on your computer going through emails and documents. You have been doing this for a majority of your day. The only time you’ve gone outside today is going out to grab lunch and then coming right back home. It could be argued that wasn’t actually being outside, since you spent that time in your car. Staying inside all day has started to make you feel lonely, isolated, and a little depressed. Is there anything you could do to help alleviate these feelings?
Understanding the Problem
Turns out, going to a park and taking a walk might be just what the doctor ordered. There is growing evidence which suggests that spending time in the natural world can improve mental and physical health1-6, 8-9– this includes sitting in nature, talking a walk or a hike, camping, and so much more. But humans are becoming more and more removed from nature.
According to the Census Bureau7, urban areas now account for 80% of the U.S. population. American cities tend to have less green space than rural areas. This could be why ten percent of the global population live with a diagnosed mental health disorder6. It has been shown that people living in the city have a 20% higher risk of anxiety disorders and a 40% higher risk of mood disorders, compared to people living in more rural areas. People born and raised in cities are twice as likely to develop schizophrenia compared to non-city dwellers5.
But it is not just people who live in cities that need to worry about mental health concerns. Another community that is at a higher risk for mental illness are people that have come to retirement age. This is partly due to many different factors such as loneliness, physical health changes, and social exclusion6.
Nature’s Benefits to Mental Health
No matter who you are or where you live, better understanding these risks might make you more inclined to find time for nature. Studies as far back as the 1980s showed that nature benefited mental health. One of these studies9 has shown that nature has ways of restoring our attention. Humans evolved in nature, and there is something about the way we respond to it that doesn’t distract us or take up our attention. Because of this, when we leave a natural setting, we feel calmer and are better at focusing.
More recent studies reiterate the claims that a nature experience, usually in a green space, can improve memory and attention3, as well as improving mood8. Have you ever noticed that your mood and demeanor change after spending time in nature?
More recent studies have shown additional mental health benefits. In 2015 Bratman et al. were able to show that people who went on a 90-minute walk in a natural area showed decreased activity in a region of the brain associated with a key factor in depression. The people who went on a 90-minute walk in an urban setting did not see this decreased brain activity in the same region. Researchers concluded that there is something about the walk in nature that lifts our mood.
The lead author of the study, Gregory Bratman says, “This finding is exciting because it demonstrates the impact of nature experience on an aspect of emotion regulation – something that may help explain how nature makes us feel better.”
Nejade et al 2022 did a literature review on this topic andfound some interesting statistics about nature’s benefits to mental health. Out of the studies they found, 98% of them found mental health improvement when humans spent time in nature.
Nature’s Benefits to Physical Health
Spending time in a green space has benefits to your physical health as well. The same 2022 study found that 83% of studies found increases in physical health. Julia Hotz states that spending time in nature, specifically a forest, not only decreases stress and adrenalin, it also decreases your blood pressure and heart disease risk1. She then talks about some of the ways you can do this.
One of these ways is forest bathing4 also knownas Shinrin-Yoku. This practice began in Japan to help businesspeople reduce the stress and anxiety of their demanding jobs. It has since been proven to help both mental and physical health.
Forest Bathing and Forest Therapy
A study by Li 2022 lists out all of the health benefits offorest therapy. The following are just some of the benefits10:
• Increased human natural killer activity, whichsuggests a preventive effect on cancers
• Reduces blood pressure and heart rate, whichprevents hypertension and heart disease
• Reduces stress hormone, which contribute to stress management
• Stabilizes the autonomic nervous system
• Improves sleep
• Prevents effects on depression
Forest bathing has inspired M. Amos Clifford’s The Association of Nature and Forest Therapy (ANFT) Guides and Programs founded in 2012. A certified ANFT forest therapist guide, Madison Lindsay says that Clifford focuses his forest therapy on a heart-centered relationship between humans and the natural world.
Forest bathing and forest therapy is something for all ages and abilities, from children to the elderly. As long as you are able to get to a forest and sit for at least 30 minutes you can participate. It would be better if you were led by a guide, but depending on where you live and the resources you have, as long as you can find a forest and sit there on your own you can do it. Madison Lindsay has been leading forest therapy for almost eight years and she says, “there is no doubt in my mind that forest therapy has had positive benefits on my personal health and well-being.” This practice grounds you and helps your physical health as well as your mental health4.
Click here to see all upcoming Forest Bathing programs offered atCincinnati Nature Center.
Prescribing Yourself Time Outside at the Cincinnati Nature Center
Doctors and therapists have noticed and are more aware of the benefits of spending time in natural environments. There are many different countries, including the United States, where these professionals prescribe patients time outside to help improve mood and overall health. This doesn’t take away the need to not visit your doctor, therapist, or take other medications. It is something that can assist, not cure. And if you are in a position where you cannot find a doctor or therapist who will prescribe you time outside, you can prescribe yourself.
Click here to browse all Nature RX programs currently offered at Cincinnati Nature Center.
So, the next time you are sitting at home and start feeling lonely, isolated, and a little depressed you now know what you can do. Get a prescription from your doctor or prescribe yourself some time in nature. Instead of spending all day behind a computer, get yourself outside and go for a walk or participate in some forest bathing.
