We Need Nature, Here’s Why!
Life on our island in Singapore has often been described to be a concrete jungle. We have been blessed with beautiful architecture, clean streets, and well-maintained buildings all around the state.
However, there are also negative consequences of living apart from nature that impact our bodies and our minds. In the natural state of the world, our bodies were not built to be away from nature for this long. Read on to find out more about why it is essential to remain connected to nature.
Reason #1: Nature helps to improve and maintain our physical health
Nature can surely heal. Studies have shown that nature can lead to improvements in your health such as:
Reduction of the production of stress hormones
Reduced blood pressure
Reduced muscle tension
Reduced heart rate
Increase in Vitamin D
These are just some of the many health benefits that can be derived from spending time in nature. Scheduling a visit to the park, a weekend of hiking activities with the family, or a nature-filled getaway with friends can go a long way in staying exposed and connected with nature.
Reason #2: Nature helps to improve and maintain our mental health
Did you know that even having a small potted plant in your room or your workspace can contribute to reduced levels of stress and anxiety? That is how significant and important nature is to our minds. Ecotherapy has also been known to aid with depression and other mental health issues. More on nature-based therapy work will be discussed in a later section.
Even if we do not experience mental health issues, nature is beneficial to our lives. Time in nature can help us generate healthy and positive emotions such as calmness and joy.
Nature can also help us with our concentration. Nature has proven to be an effective ally in mitigating ADHD-like symptoms in both adults and children.
With a host of beneficial outcomes that can be garnered from time in nature, it is no wonder the risk of poorer mental health is much lower in rural areas as compared to city living.
Reason #3: Nature helps us build stronger relationships and communities
Nature is a clean and green space for healthy human interaction. Having a park in a community has proven to provide a space for residents in a community to come together and build relationships with each other.
Cities around the world use parks to build safer environments. The impact that nature has on an individual aids society at large as less stressed and aggressive individuals lead to lower crime rates and lower instances of sexual violence, especially against women.
According to the University of Minnesota, studies that measured brain activity of participants revealed that when scenes of nature were shown to participants, the parts of their brains associated with empathy and love reacted. On the other hand, views of buildings and urban scenes caused their brains to react with fear and anxiety. This reveals that time in nature can help us build our empathy and love and this can in turn help us build better relationships.
What is Forest Therapy or ‘Forest Bathing’?
The term ‘forest bathing’ or shinrin-yoku originated in Japan. This is a physiological and psychological exercise that helps people with their mental and physical well-being by spending time in nature and connecting with it. It can also help in nature conservation of national parks and forests.
As mentioned, even time in a park can help with reaping such benefits. However, there are also more structured and longer forms of ‘forest bathing’ that can be found around the world. To find out more about ‘forest bathing’ and the various ecotherapy experiences offered around the world, click here.
If you haven’t walked with your barefoot with your feet on the grass in a while, this is your reminder to go do it! Get out there and reap the benefits of mother nature :)
