When we think of peace, serenity, and relaxation, one word that comes to our minds is "nature." Have you ever thought about why this is so? The answer is simple: nature has the healing power that improves our well-being. Nature not only soothes exhausted minds but also plays a vital role in keeping us physically, mentally, and emotionally healthy.
The Health benefits of nature are countless. However, today we will try to jot down a summary of the mental health benefits of living closer to nature.
1. Helps Cope With Stress
We are living in a fast-paced world where most of us are spending more time sitting on our desks in the office or our sofa in the lounge. We barely take out time to sit outdoors, closer to nature. We all need therapy to cope with our daily life stresses. For optimal mental health conditions, spending time in nature is essential for all.
What you see, hear, and experience leaves an impact not only on your mood but also improves the working of the nervous system, endocrine, and immune system. Spending time in an unpleasant environment affects the mood that can cause you to feel anxious, sad, or depressed. That, in turn, elevates your heartbeat or blood pressure and destroys your mental and physical health.
The healing garden concept is accepted and benefitting worldwide for people who desire to stay closer to the natural environment to retreat to when stressed.
2. People Connected to Nature Tend to be Happier
Once you know how to manage your stress, you are halfway to living a better and happier life. Research has shown that nature has a healing aura, and just viewing scenes of nature can reduce anger and fear by increasing pleasant feelings. Physical activities in nature like a stroll through a park in fresh air or a day spent hiking reduce the risks of psychiatric disorders and sharpen our cognition. It only takes 5 minutes to benefit yourself from the relaxing effect of nature and hence live a better and happier life as compared to those who spend more time sitting indoors.
3. Makes You More Active and Improves Concentration
Quality time in nature turns out to be a soothing balm for tired and depressed minds. We know that a depressed mind loses its ability to work properly and concentrate. Replacing inactive pursuits with active ones can improve your concentration. Staying closer to nature can leave a positive impact on your brainpower and creative thinking.
Study shows that not only elders but children suffering from ADHD seem to focus better when exposed to nature for a short period. So spending time in nature increases the attention span of all age groups.
4.Cognitive benefits
Interacting with nature by staying closer to green outdoor spaces has cognitive benefits and promotes self-control behaviors. A strong connection with nature replenishes our cognitive resources, restoring the ability to concentrate and pay attention.
So, the key message of this writing is a need to shift the attention of our generations from inactive indoor life to an active outdoor life by developing a connection with nature to bring benefits to mental health!
Comments