College Voices
The Power of Nature To Cure Stress and Mental Exhaustion
Ecopsychology is a growing field that explores humans’ relationship with the natural world. Based on various studies, it seems that the time spent in nature helps people cope with stress, improve overall feelings of happiness, raise energy, and potentially raise empathy levels.
In a time of incredible emotional, mental, and physical deterioration for many people, it is more important than ever to spend time in the great outdoors.
The relationship between humans and nature has always been a very strong and important connection. Humans are naturally attracted to beautiful nature; we even travel across the world to seek out the most incredible natural wonders of the world.
Patients in hospitals with a view of nature out of their windows tend to recover faster than people without nature outside their window.
A study found that patients with a tree view from their room needed weaker pain medications when recovering from surgery while those with a brick wall needed strong pain medication such as narcotics.
Humans are meant to be in contact with the natural world, and it seems that this relationship may just be the key to a healthy lifestyle.
Furthermore, a close relationship with nature can help sick patients recover faster. Forest bathing or Shinrin-yoku is a way of spending time in nature. It means taking in the forest through your senses. Research suggests that people who participate in forest bathing have reduced levels of oxidative stress and pro-inflammatory levels.
Forest bathing also leads to well-balanced heart conditions and controlled nervous system functions. Another study suggests that looking at trees is very successful in lowering stress levels, even in an urban environment.
Lowering stress levels is crucial for a healthy immune system and leads to a higher quality of life. It takes only minutes in nature to start seeing improvements in your stress and hypertension levels.
Sunlight (vitamin D) has been proven to be a crucial cornerstone of a healthy lifestyle. Vitamin D helps regulate the amount of phosphate and calcium in your body.
These nutrients are important for keeping your muscles, bones, and teeth healthy. High levels of vitamin D are associated with higher energy and happiness levels.
Frank Lloyd Wright once said, “Study Nature, love nature, stay close to nature. It will never fail you.”
Long-term vitamin D deficiency can lead to long-term health problems such as serious bone disorders and potentially, cancer, and high blood pressure.
In a study at Boston University, people with high blood pressure were exposed to UVB and UVA rays for a few months. The results reported that the patient’s high blood pressure normalized and their hypertension continued to be in remission.
Spending time in nature improves everything from your mood to your immune system. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread across the country, it is more important than ever to continue spending time outdoors.