The Healing Power of Nature
“Ten thousand flowers in spring, the moon in autumn, a cool breeze in summer, snow in winter.
If your mind isn't crowded with unnecessary things,
this is the best season of your life.”
― Wu-Men
As the days are getting longer and the temperatures are rising, many people are leaving the covid hibernation and going outside more often.
As humans, we are naturally drawn to warmer temperatures and the pleasant sights of buds on trees and flowers starting to appear. I’m grateful to live in a place where we experience all of the seasons (even if winter is a bit too long).
In recent years, I’ve come to appreciate the magic of spring. It’s a beautiful thing to see the world re-emerge and come to life again. Day by day, buds slowly open, bulbs pop out of the ground, and before we know it greenery is all around us.
I think most people would agree that their mental health is better in the warmer months, with all the sunlight and being out of the house more often. Particularly for those who may struggle with the disorder known as Seasonal Affective Disorder - a disorder causing symptoms of depression only during certain times of the year, which impacts many Canadians.
It may not be surprising to know that being in nature can improve your mental health, because I’m sure you’ve experienced the boost in well-being that a hike through the woods or a day at the beach has brought you.
In this post I’m going to outline some of the benefits being in nature can have on your mental health, with research to back it up.
I personally find being in nature to be one of the most grounding, life-enhancing things I do. I find myself more and more drawn to the peace, tranquility, and awe that nature brings. Last year I started gardening and experienced the rewards of nurturing, tending to, and witnessing the development of life through plants. Gardening can be particularly beneficial for individuals struggling with mental health issues, because it puts the focus onto something else, pulling them out of their busy minds, and grounding them into their bodies.
Benefits of Nature for Mental Health
There is an abundance of research demonstrating the positive impact nature can have on mental health. Studies have demonstrated positive associations between nature-based recreation and mental health, including improvements in mood, cognition, restoration, and well-being, and decreases in anxiety and depression symptoms (Lackey et al., 2019).
“Individuals living and interacting in green spaces (GS) report being more energetic, in good overall health and, have more of a sense of meaningful purpose in life” (Sifferin, 2016).
The primary way nature improves mental well-being is by lowering stress, something we can all benefit from, particularly in the covid-era we are experiencing.
Studies also show that nature reduces the likelihood of rumination – continuously thinking about the same negative thoughts over and over, which is a common symptom of depression and anxiety.
We don’t even need to be directly in nature to reap the rewards. Research has demonstrated that individuals who can see trees and grass outside their window have been shown to perform better in school, recover faster in hospitals, and even display less violent behavior in neighborhoods (Williams, 2016).
Nature can help in some more surprising and unusual ways as well. Are you experiencing writer’s block? Or feeling uninspired? Nature has been shown to improve creative thinking (Maller et al., 2006). Nature can even help us to become more caring for others (Weinstein, Przybylski, & Ryan, 2009).
Nature can also evoke a sense of awe, connecting us and making us reflect on something greater than ourselves. Simply looking up at the sky or over a landscape can make us quickly remember how trivial some of our problems are.
Nature Therapy
It appears the Japanese have long recognized the powerful effects that nature can have on human well-being. “Shinrin-Yoku” which translates into “forest bathing” is a traditional Japanese practice of immersing oneself in nature by mindfully using five senses. It emerged in the 1980s as an important part of preventative health care and healing in Japanese medicine.
Forest bathing has positive impacts on both physical and mental health, which is backed up by a wide body of research (Hansen, Jones, & Tocchini, 2017).
"Spending time in the forest induces a state of physiologic relaxation” (Sifferlin, 2016). Nature is full of wisdom and knowledge that we can learn from and it’s waiting to be explored.
Recommended Dose of Nature
Studies show that there are variations in the recommended dose of nature a person should get regularly.
In a study conducted in England that examined the association between contact with nature and health and well-being, they found that spending more than 120 minutes a week in nature may be an important threshold for health and well-being. It didn’t matter how the 120 minutes was achieved, indicating that as long as one gets two hours of nature exposure accumulated throughout the week, they experienced the beneficial effects on well-being.
However, research from Finland found that just a 40-50 minute walk seems to be enough for physiological, mood, and attention changes (Williams, 2016).
A study conducted in Australia found that visits to outdoor green spaces of 30 minutes or more during the course of a week could reduce the population prevalence of depression by up to 7% (Shanahan, 2016). It appears that any amount of time in nature will do us all some good, but the more may be the better.
How to Integrate Nature into Your Life
I encourage you to consider integrating nature more into your daily life.
Fortunately, nature is accessible and affordable. You don’t need any fancy equipment to walk through your neighborhood park or to watch a river flowing. If you have the opportunity to immerse yourself in mountains and the ocean, then go for it, but it’s not a requirement to reap the rewards.
Try true forest bathing by doing some simple grounding and mindfulness practices while you are outside to increase the benefits.
Engage the five senses by noticing five things you can see, four things you can hear, three things you can feel, two things you can smell, and one thing you can taste.
Try walking with bare feet in the grass or on sand, or even hug a tree.
If nature isn’t accessible to you or you don’t feel like you can find a way to integrate it into your busy life, consider even adding artificial elements of nature into your daily life.
Add some plants to your living space or turn on nature sounds in the background. There’s a reason why spas do it. Those sounds help you to relax. Studies show that even artificial images, sounds, and smells of nature can have positive health effects (Sifferin, 2016).
Now you have no excuse not to try this simple tool for well-being.
Looking for Guidance? We Can Help.
If you think you’d benefit from help or guidance in creating a treatment plan that includes nature therapy, we invite you to take advantage of our complementary 20-minute consultation to see if we’re a fit for you.
Our diverse theme of psychologists will help you determine the steps and path forward, as best identified for your lifestyle and circumstances.
References & Further Reading
Hansen, M. M., Jones, R., & Tocchini, K. (2017). Shinrin-Yoku (Forest Bathing) and Nature Therapy: A State-of-the-Art Review. International journal of environmental research and public health, 14(8), 851. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph14080851
N. Qwynne Lackey, Deborah A. Tysor, G. David McNay, Leah Joyner, Kensey H. Baker & Camilla Hodge (2019) Mental health benefits of nature-based recreation: a systematic review, Annals of Leisure Research, DOI: 10.1080/11745398.2019.1655459
Shanahan, D., Bush, R., Gaston, K. et al. Health Benefits from Nature Experiences Depend on Dose. Sci Rep 6, 28551 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/srep28551
Sifferlin A. The healing power of nature. Time Mag. 2016;188:24–26.
Weinstein N, Przybylski AK, Ryan RM. Can nature make us more caring? Effects of immersion in nature on intrinsic aspirations and generosity. Pers Soc Psychol Bull. 2009 Oct;35(10):1315-29. doi: 10.1177/0146167209341649. Epub 2009 Aug 5. PMID: 19657048.
Williams, F. (2016). This is your brain on nature. National Geographic, 229(1), 48-69.
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