11/05/2020
Nature-deficit disorder is a very real thing?
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This disorder occurs when humans lose connection to their natural environment🌳. Especially with everything going on in the world today, it's more important than ever to understand the importance of spending time in nature.
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So what impact exactly does nature have on our physical health?
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- Forest bathing has become a popular way of spending time in nature. Research has shown that people who participate in this practice have optimum nervous systems, well-balanced heart conditions, and reduced bowel disorders
- Participating in outdoor activities reduce the chances of developing eyesight problems like hypermetropia and myopia
- People who exercise outdoors, as opposed to indoors, are less fatigued and have fewer chances of suffering from obesity and related conditions
- Forest bathing also stimulates the production of anti-cancer proteins, and frequent walks or trips into nature help patients fighting terminal diseases
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So that covers our physical health, but what about our mental health? As things like urbanization, and technology grow, so do mental health disorders.
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- Nature helps in emotional regulation and improves memory functions
- Nature walks benefit people suffering from depression. People suffering from mild-major depressive disorders show significant mood uplifts when exposed to nature
- Not only does exposure to nature reduce the production of cortisol (the stress hormone), it also makes us immune to allied problems like hypertension and tachycardia
- Nature walks and other outdoor activities build attention and focus, therefore reducing chances of developing disorders like ADD
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Although some of this research is still ongoing, the results so far are strong enough to prove these benefits.
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So what can we take away from all this info?
Go outside!Stop staring at your cell phone, tv, or spending too much time working on your computer.
Instead, go outside, catch some rays 🌞and dig your toes into the earth.
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Your entire being will thank you!
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For more info on this topic, and to check out the related studies, head over to https://positivepsychology.com/positive-effects-of-nature/