The Power of Nature: Use Nature to Nurture Health And Well-being
This week I took an 11 hour car trip. Eleven hours, though, is nothing compared to the joy I experience when after 8 or 9 hours driving, I see the mountains come into view. Just seeing those mountains and knowing what lies ahead instills calmness and erases all the boredom, fatigue, and traffic snafus of the trip.
What makes the trip worth it every time is the destination: I arrive at a place that makes me happy and brings me peace. I’m surrounded by mountain vistas, forests, lakes, and waterfalls. Just saying those words and envisioning the natural beauty soothes me.
This started me thinking about how the natural landscape—wherever it may be—rejuvenates and restores me. My mood and mindset improve when I spend time outdoors. The sights, sounds, and scents ground me.
So I wanted to learn more about the effects of nature on our physical and mental health. As it turns out, the positive effects are substantial.
Nature Improves Physical and Mental Health
Whether it’s the mountains, the woods, the ocean, a lake, or even your own back yard, spending time in nature can improve your physical and mental health and overall well-being. Here are just some of the benefits, and the studies that back them up:
Lowers Stress: One study found spending as little as 20 to 30 minutes in nature could help reduce stress. The study concluded that 20 minutes of yard work, gardening, or sitting quietly in a park or your yard significantly lowered known stress markers. Any place that allows you to feel connected to nature will work. And doing so regularly may prevent the cumulative effects from stress—which could mean a lower risk for chronic disease, illness, and mortality.
Improves Focus, Enhances Creativity, and Improves Cognition: Several studies have found that exposure to nature is associated with improved cognition, including mental clarity and concentration. Those who spend time in nature also enjoy higher levels of creativity. Getting outdoors and connecting with nature is a great way to clear your head and focus. Nature has an inherently calming effect that helps to eliminate distractions so that we can think more clearly and creatively. Indeed, Albert Einstein believed that allowing his mind to wander during his walks often brought solutions regarding the universe's most vexing mysteries.
Improves Immunity: Recent scientific findings suggest that exposure to nature increases human immune responses. Several studies have found that increased exposure to nature positively affects immunological health parameters, including reducing inflammation and increasing NK (natural killer) cell activity.
Lowers Blood Pressure: Evidence suggests that exposure to a natural environment reduced blood pressure. Fifty-two Japanese studies on the physiological effects of nature therapy and found overwhelming evidence that blood pressure levels decreased when participants were exposed to a natural environment. Decreases in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure levels were observed across young, healthy populations, as well as populations with hypertension.
Bring Nature Inside
In addition to simply spending more time outdoors, there are ways to bring nature into your daily life. This is true even if you spend a lot of time stuck inside. Here are just a few ideas:
Engage your senses by listening to recorded bird songs, a rainstorm, or waves breaking on shore.
Bring lush plants into your home and office.
Decorate your spaces with pictures of natural beauty.
Use a diffuser with natural scents.
Simply by doing these things, you can improve relaxation and work satisfaction.
There is even evidence that looking at pictures of natural beauty or watching nature videos can be beneficial. A comparison of outcomes of people who walked outside in either natural or urban settings with those of people who watched videos of those settings, found that any exposure to nature—in person or via video—led to improvements in attention, positive emotions, and the ability to reflect on and resolve problems. Time spent outside is best, but if you can’t do that, look at a beautiful nature picture or video.
How Much Time Does It Take to Achieve Benefits?
Even short outdoor jaunts can be beneficial. We can benefit from just stepping outside.
A 2021 study found that the 20- to 90-minute sessions in nature were most beneficial for mental health, with gardening, nature-based therapy, and exercise in green spaces being the most effective for adults.
A large survey found that people who spent at least 2 hours a week in nature — whether in one longer outing or in multiple smaller chunks of time — were more likely to positively describe their health and well-being than were people who spent no time in nature. If that seems unattainable, aim for 15 minutes a day.
Take a Mindful Moment
Find a quiet place in nature where you can close your eyes and relax.
Engage your senses and focus on the sounds, scents, and sensations.
Breathe into your body and into the landscape around you.
Feel the earth beneath your feet.
Breathe in the restorative and peaceful energy from your surroundings.
Exhale and release any tension or stress.
Continue to focus on your breath and the nature around you.
Do yourself a favor and get outside to enjoy and appreciate nature. You will experience immeasurable benefits. To quote William Shakespeare, “The earth has music for those who listen.”