Time spent outdoors is proven to have a positive impact on your mental health. Taking just a few moments a day to walk outside, open a window and breathe fresh air or sit outside reading a book can all help improve your overall well being.
Reducing anxiety and stress, improving attention span, and boosting your mood are just a few benefits that are linked with spending time in nature.
When in nature, people may experience a more positive mood and better cognitive function. Memory improves, as does the ability to focus. Some people also experience a boost in creativity. Studies found that spending time in a green environment improves mood and self-esteem.
Those struggling with mental illness saw significant increases in their self-esteem and saw a reduction in their depression symptoms.
Ecotherapy is a type of formal treatment that supplements other treatments. It involves exercising or doing regular activities outside in nature. It has proven on several occasions to help with mild cases of depression. Spending time in nature can act as a balm for our busy brains. Experimental findings show how impressive nature’s healing powers can be. Just a few moments of green can perk up a tired brain.
Even the sounds of nature can be very relaxing.
Whether it is the sound of rain, crickets chirping or waves crashing. In the present world where all these sounds are easily accessible with just a click away, many applications use these natural sounds in response to anxiety relieving applications.
How can nature help improve sleep?
Although we have various applications which help people who have trouble sleeping, there are always natural ways to fall asleep. Rather than seeking natural sounds through technology, a walk outside can improve sleep quality and help relieve sleep problems. Sleeping away from artificial light and waking up with natural sunlight can reset one’s circadian rhythm, which will help with feeling refreshed after a better night’s sleep.
Brain Benefits of Nature
Furthermore, nature has a myriad of other brain benefits. Contact with nature is helpful in increasing energy and improving feelings of vitality and focus. Spending time in nature and outdoors also helps your mind rest. The world is full of stressors, whether they be from work, interpersonal relationships or financial issues. Sometimes, you need to escape from these stressors to rest your mind. Being outdoors allows your mind to decompress and normalize.
Spending time in nature is also a great way to practice mindfulness, as it allows you to present in the moment and clear your mind. We live in a society where we link our worth with doing things that bring financial rewards and status. The result of this is that we work hard all the time and it can drain our energy. When we are linked to nature and are in nature we can slow down. We can reconnect to that sense of being rather than that of doing.
The more we go out in nature to just be, the better it is.
Getting outdoors doesn’t have to be a lot of work. There are lots of simple ways you can get quality time in nature. One can go for walks or runs outside. It is not just a change of mood but a change of scenery. One can also take a bike ride along a trail or go camping and hike for a weekend. Another activity that one can inculcate is gardening. Staying close to nature in the truest form by having plants around you can be extremely calming. Another very important aspect that can be added is that one can move their workouts outdoors and even meditate or do yoga outdoors. If nothing else, one can read a book in a park and just enjoy sitting on the grass. These are just a handful of activities you can do to reap the mental health benefits of the outdoors.
While we all enjoy the comfort of our homes, the outdoors and mental health benefits are significant!
