Mind and Nature
Written By Neha
To be honest, we all spend more time indoors in front of a screen than outdoors surrounded by nature, which is not always by choice. We are living in a world where our minds are forced to focus on the artificial more than the natural. This can lead to both physical and mental health issues like mental or physical fatigue, exhaustion, anxiety etc. A lot of mental and physical health problems can be avoided in children who grow up in greener surroundings.
Scientists have found that nature has a huge impact on our minds. It reduces stress and anxiety and increases our creativity and capacity.
Research conducted in Japan, where one group of people were asked to take a walk in a forest, and another group of people were asked to take a walk in an urban center while their heart rates, heart rate variability, and blood pressure were being monitored.
The results showed that those who walked in the woods had lower heart rates and higher heart rate variability, indicating more relaxation and less stress, and reported better moods and less anxiety than those who walked in cities.
The reason for this is still not very clear but we can all agree that Nature has a way of calming our minds. “There is mounting evidence, from dozens and dozens of researchers, that nature has benefits for both physical and psychological human well being,” says Lisa Nisbet, Ph.D., a psychologist at Trent University in Ontario, Canada, who studies connectedness to nature. “You can boost your mood just by walking in nature, even in urban nature. And the sense of connection you have with the natural world seems to contribute to happiness even when you’re not physically immersed in nature.”
Nature’s beautiful sight has the power to make our positive emotions more powerful. Being surrounded by nature makes us feel more alive and safe at the same time. It helps us in coping with pain. We are attracted by nature sceneries and diverted from our pain and anguish because we are genetically built to find trees, plants, water, and other natural components appealing.
But recent studies show that with climate change human interaction with nature is decreasing over time. ‘Nature deprivation’ is a term used to indicate the lack of interaction with nature in one’s life. Scientists have proven that spending at least 2 hours a week in a natural environment can improve both our mind and body. But it is important to remember that it's not just spending time around nature, it's about building a connection with nature and feeling it.
It is easy to find nature anywhere, but it is the high quality of natural surroundings that affect us the most. With the growing negative changes in climate it is very difficult to make good quality nature available for every section of the society. Quality nature has now become a luxury for a large percentage of the population.