You may not realize it, but nature is always there for you. When you feel stressed or sad, nature can help heal your worries and woes.
Nature gives us a chance to get in touch with our inner selves, much like meditation does. And when we are in nature, our bodies produce chemicals that make us happy—a feeling of well-being that’s known as eudaimonia.
The outdoors also helps strengthen our immune systems because the air outside contains more bacteria than inside homes and offices do.
There are many benefits nature can provide including decreased stress, increased happiness, and improved immunity — these are just some of nature’s health benefits that can be brought into your everyday life by connecting with nature!
What is nature, exactly?
Nature is all the plants, animals, and other living things around us. Nature can be experienced in many different ways such as nature walks, painting nature-inspired pictures or images, writing nature-centered poetry or songs, or enjoying nature via photography.
Some nature experiences are simple while some are more complex. This article will provide some tips on how nature can help your health.
Is the human species part of nature?
Yes, the natural world is a large part of human life and human nature. Humans are nature because we rely on nature to survive and live our lives. Without nature’s resources, humans would not have the food, clothes, shelter, etc. that we need to survive.
What exactly is nature health?
Nature health is defined as the positive physical, mental, spiritual, and social benefits that occur with nature experiences.
Understanding the connection between nature and health
The nature health connection is not a new concept. In fact, nature has been used for centuries to promote good health and well-being. For example, Native American Indians would perform rituals in nature as part of their healing process because they knew that the outdoors was an important part of the healing process (or “medicine”).
Nature can be enjoyed in many different ways such as nature walks, painting nature-inspired pictures or images, writing nature-centered poetry or songs, or enjoying nature via photography.
Some people might think that human beings are separate from other living things because we have advanced intelligence.
However, nature is a part of us. Our human ancestors were once nature as well because they relied on nature to survive just as we do today.
In fact, the natural environments are a large part of human life and our nature. Without nature’s resources, humans would not have the food, clothes, shelter, etc. that we need to survive.
What nature can do for human health
Health is an incredibly complex and ever-changing subject because it affects every person in a different way. Luckily, the natural world can provide many health benefits for people of all ages.
Increasing nature in your everyday life can be as simple as looking out the window, taking a walk through nature instead of down busy streets, or even planting some flowers.
Many people find nature very relaxing and use it to escape their stress levels when they need to focus on something other than their thoughts.
This is especially helpful for children because nature can make them feel less stressed about their school work, and provides them with an easy way to de-stress. Children are more likely to be able to focus on their studies when they aren’t overwhelmed by stress.
Not only do natural environments provide many opportunities for physical activity like walking through nature trails or playing sports, but nature has been proven to provide many health benefits as well.
Additionally, researchers discovered evidence that living in greener urban areas is connected to a decreased risk of cardiovascular disease, obesity, diabetes, asthma hospitalization, mental distress, and ultimately mortality.
Stress Relief
Being outdoors in nature has been shown to reduce stress by releasing chemicals in the brain that aid in relaxation. Sitting out on your porch or taking a nature walk every day will slowly start relieving stress, leaving you feeling calm and refreshed after each nature break. A dose of green space can help your brain quite a bit!
Happiness
Nature contact can increase your happiness by just relaxing and enjoying the natural environments that surround you. It has been proven that being around nature can allow you to slowly start feeling happier when stress is reduced.
Immunity Boost
Spending time outside in nature has many benefits, one of them being increased immune system because nature can allow you to get more vitamin D from the sun. Vitamin D has been proven to reduce respiratory infections and colds, keep your bones strong, and much more!
Income deprivation and health
An observational population study of the effect of exposure to natural environment on health inequalities published in Lancet showed that health inequalities associated with income deprivation were lower in populations living in the greenest areas for all-cause mortality and mortality from circulatory diseases.
How nature helps our mental health and physical well-being
Some people take nature for granted and only see the negative aspects nature provides.
People should be grateful for nature’s benefits – nature can help our mental health, physical health, and overall well-being. The average adult spends a large part of their day sitting inside or working indoors.
Nature exposure can help reduce stress and anxiety, improve one’s mood, and provide a sense of well-being.
How nature can help break an addiction to technology
If you’re looking to shut off your mind from the constant barrage of technology, spending time outdoors and viewing natural landscapes is essential. One company has even put nature breaks into their workplace to help employees recharge during working hours.
Time spent in nature helps your brain to reorient itself away from powerful distractions, such as video games and social media. Plus nature can provide a much-needed break from the 24/7 news cycle.
The benefits of nature on children
Nature is not only beneficial for adults; nature can be very healthy for people of all ages. By exposing children through nature-based outdoor education programs, nature can help reduce behavior problems, obesity, inattentiveness in class, and improve test scores (Faber Taylor & Kuo, 2006).
From nature walks to nature centers, nature has the ability to keep their young minds stimulated.
Being outdoors offers children a wide range of educational opportunities, it is the perfect place for them to get started on learning about nature near them. The forest can be used as a habitat for certain animals or even just an outdoor classroom where nature activities are done.
Nature can be a great way to get children outdoors and get them more active.
The benefits of nature on elderly people
Nature contact is a great way for older people and adults to continue to stay active as they age.
It provides countless opportunities for nature walks and nature centers that offer nature activities such as bird watching, nature journaling, and much more.
Ways to connect with nature even if you live in urban environments
We all know nature has many benefits for our health, but how can nature be found in the city?
The great thing about nature is that it can also be found very close to your own home. You just need to go outside and look.
You could even plant a garden in your own backyard as nature was meant to be experienced – outdoors!
There are many other ways you could find nature in the city including visiting zoos or nature preserves, or by traveling around town looking for green spaces.
If you live near water, there are several different types of aquatic life that offer an opportunity for contact with nature without leaving the comfort of land. Even if you’re living somewhere where there isn’t much natural flora or fauna present, nature is always there. You just need to find it and be open to exploration!
Steps to find nature near you :
- Go to the US National Park Service website.
- Enter the park name near you, or use the map to select the state.
- Once you’ve found nature near you, go explore! Or just read about nature’s health benefits. It’s up to you. Happy nature-ing!
Ending note
Nature is all around you, and it’s easy to find nature in the city. If you live near a nature preserve or at least some trees on your block, those are great places to start connecting with nature. You can also go fishing if there is water nearby!
Consider going outside for a walk where ever possible – whether that means taking an afternoon stroll through the park or getting up early enough to see the sunrise over the lake before work.
The beauty of nature extends far beyond what we may be able to experience firsthand every day. That doesn’t mean we should stop trying though!
With this article as motivation, please take the next step towards living more mindfully by investing time into yourself and reconnecting with nature so that its many benefits can begin working their magic within you.
