Why is Nature Good For Us?
Background
If you’ve ever stopped to cool off in a refreshing mountain stream, taken a long hike through the woods where birds and insects hum uninterrupted, felt the fresh, soft grass under your bare feet, or the crisp air fill your lungs as you bike, run, or climb, soaking up the warm rays of sun, you know firsthand of nature’s healing properties. It both excites and soothes our senses and refreshes and calms our minds in ways that are hard to describe. As an outdoor enthusiast I know that nature is good for me. If you love to be outside, you surely do too. Being in nature brings benefits that go beyond positive feelings; we now have data that shows how being outside is beneficial for overall health.
The benefits of interaction with nature are undeniable to people who love to spend time outdoors but, until recently, these benefits have not been quantifiable. The field of research that seeks to understand and explain the benefits of spending time in nature is growing rapidly. Increasing interest in this field can be partly attributed to the need for strong support for both conservation and nature-based climate change solutions. Credible scientific data (especially quantitative scientific data from large samples) can provide important support for changes in policy, culture, and business.
In a study that looked at human activity in the United States (The National Human Activity Pattern Survey), researchers found that, on average, Americans spend 87% of their day inside and 6% inside vehicles. We spend most of our days indoors, often looking at the outdoors as merely an environment we pass through to get to another indoor destination. Why should we advocate for more time spent outside, for ourselves and for others?
Specific Benefits of Nature
The benefits of an individual connection with nature can fit broadly into three categories: physical, mental, and social. The physical benefits of spending time outdoors include reduced healing time after injury, increased levels of vitamin D, reduced risk of nearsightedness, improvements in self-reported overall health, and improved sleep quality. Recent studies from Tokyo published in the International Journal of Immunopathology and Pharmacology have even suggested that time spent outdoors can increase the body’s resilience to cancer. A study from Canada authored by PJ Villeneuve and colleagues also suggests that increased time spent in urban green space may ultimately be associated with longevity.
From personal experience you may be able to subjectively describe your feelings of restoration, tranquility, and happiness that are associated with your time outside, but researchers are trying to scientifically describe and quantify these personal experiences. Feelings of restoration and improved mental clarity are some of the most commonly studied responses to immersion in nature. Time spent in nature has also been shown to improve creativity and cognitive performance and is associated with stronger concentration, especially in children with ADHD. Studies have also shown that time spent in nature, even a brief walk through an urban park, can restore attentiveness and short-term memory, both of which are hypothesized to occur as a result of Attention Restoration Theory, the ability of nature’s interesting stimuli to intrigue certain parts of the brain and allow other parts to temporarily relax. Attention Restoration Theory was first named and described in the 1980s by environmental psychology researchers Rachel and Stephen Kaplan and has been well-researched and supported through other studies since.
It can be argued that improved physical and mental well-being naturally support healthy relationships and communities but there are also more obvious links that connect time spent in natural areas directly to improved social well-being. Suggested social consequences of urbanization have included increased levels of mental disorders, anxiety, increased feelings of isolation, higher stress, and reduced community support. On the other hand, time spent in nature has been shown to reverse some of these effects and actually improve feelings of social support and connectedness. Some benefits that have been identified include decreased racial tension, strengthened relationships, individual and community empowerment, and community pride. Time spent outdoors is often leisure time and provides opportunity for people to relax and take time to socialize in ways that benefit both the individuals and the community.
Why the Nature Connection Matters
Properly addressing the issue of limited outdoor time could have a cascade of positive effects, from individual, to community, national, and even global impacts. People who develop and cultivate an individual connection to nature are more likely to choose environmentally responsible behaviors and to see the conservation of natural resources and sustainable business practices as top priorities. Human exposure to and interaction with nature is in large part responsible for an individual’s feelings of environmental stewardship. People with strong inclinations to protect the environment have often developed a personal relationship with nature through repeated and significant time in special, natural areas.
Researcher Michael Littledyke, in an article published in Environmental Education Research argues that “a sense of relationship is essential for environmental care and responsibility leading to informed action”. This important relationship, built through outdoor experience and combined with scientific education, can be the key to a cultural change that acknowledges climate change and acts in accordance with this understanding.
Moving Forward
Unfortunately, sometimes just ‘“getting outside” is not as easy as it sounds. What are some ways we can encourage this cultural shift and reunite ourselves with the outdoors? First, we can make a conscious effort to spend a few minutes outside every day. Whether it’s eating outside in an urban park or taking a walk around the neighborhood after work, even a few minutes can benefit the mind and body.
We can seek out our friends and family who pursue outdoor activity as a key part of their life. Outdoor enthusiasts are often excited and encouraged by others who want to join the fun. As with most people who are passionate about a hobby, people who love the outdoors want their loved ones to experience the same joy and excitement they do. We can take part in local events put on by parks, universities, and outdoor adventure programs that get people from all backgrounds outside to learn about and enjoy the green and blue space near our own homes.
Next, we can be advocates for nature in our own communities by participating in public meetings that deal with local land-use decisions. We can show our support at meetings that present initiatives such as bike trails and conservation easements that would be open to the public to enjoy. At meetings that explain proposed development or infrastructure that threaten prime natural areas, we can use our voices to protect our cherished natural spaces.
Finally, we can support state and federal legal action that encourage outdoor activity, such as the dedication of new state and national parks and monuments. We can oppose threats to our park system by calling and writing to our representatives to make it known that we will not allow our parks to be reduced in size or protection.
There are many ways we can enjoy and encourage more outdoor activity, in our own lives and in the lives of those around us. Take a break today to get outside and enjoy some of the benefits waiting to be discovered.
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Research in this field is constantly growing and diverging in new and interesting directions. For more information, check out Last Child in the Woods by Richard Louv, Your Brain on Nature by Eva M. Selhub, or The Nature Fix by Florence Williams for good introductions to the subject.