Why is nature good for us?
Nature tops the agenda for Mental Health Awareness Week 10 - 16 May 2021
As you might expect, I was very happy indeed when I heard that nature was finally about to receive due recognition at this year’s MHA week.
One of the unexpected side effects of the pandemic, with its raft of challenges and difficulties, is that a great number of people reconnected with nature and the outdoors, helping to highlight the importance of spending time in nature for our mental and physical wellbeing.
Walking in nature was cited as one of the main coping strategies during the long months of the pandemic with 45% reporting that spending time in green spaces had been vital for their mental health (Mental Health Foundation: https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk). This is not surprising.
Nature – our place of origin
Iain McGilchrist (psychiatrist, neuro-scientist and author) speaks of our three great longings or three great estrangements. The first, a longing to feel connected to the natural world, the second, a longing to belong, to have a place in society and third, a longing for the divine, for something bigger than ourselves.
Less than 200 years ago, 90% of the population lived close by nature, today it’s less than half. Our modern, urban and busy lifestyle has alienated many of us from nature.
And yet, we always have a friend in nature, and when we reconnect with a good friend, it has a positive impact on our wellbeing.
We are part of nature, not apart from it. Intuitively we have always known that nature is our place of origin. It is where we come from. Our connection with nature is hard-wired, and as such, spending time in nature can have a profoundly grounding effect, helping us to become more attuned to how we are feeling, calming the mind and reducing stress.
How does (re)connecting with nature helps us improve our mental health
Nature is always there; patient, non-judgmental, spacious, solid and beautiful – what could be more reassuring.
Many of us spend much of our time on 'autopilot', lost in our thoughts, in ‘doing mode’ thinking about the past or fretting about the future, analysing, comparing, judging, assuming, worrying and problem-solving rather than paying attention to our direct actual experience in the present moment. The result is that we feel stressed, anxious, fearful or overwhelmed by life’s events.
Being in nature is an antidote to stress and anxiety. As we walk, the unconscious mind streamlines thoughts, reflects and generates new ways of thinking, ideas and solutions. We naturally slow down when we are in open, green space and our senses heighten as we connect to what’s around us. And in so doing, we drop into the body (out of our head), out of worrying, overthinking, ruminating and into the present moment. And once back in the present, we can regain powerful initiative and agency over having choice about how we respond (vs react) to life’s ups and downs.
In spring and summer, nature has so much to offer - there is much to see, to take in, to explore and admire.
As human beings (not human doings) we long to come back to our senses, to experiences that allow us to feel a connection with the world. Nature ignites and stimulates but it has a different effect on us than the stimuli of everyday life.
Nature allows us to be
Some attention requires mental effort and concentration – we need to focus hard to process information and to stay with a task, for example at work. Nature, by contrast, captures our attention involuntarily, it happens effortlessly and so provides what has been coined as a ‘restorative environment’ (Rachel and Steven Kaplan: The Attention Restoration Theory).
Even a short walk in green space is enough to restore and reset the mind, to calm and relax us.
When I’m outdoors, I’m happiest, at my best
From a young age, I have spent as much time as possible outdoors (walking, cycling, on horseback), enjoying how alive and happy it makes me feel. It’s in nature, on long solitary walks that I have my most creative ideas, that I can see a little further into my life. Spending time in nature helps me to reconnect with myself when I feel out of sorts, upset, anxious or unsure about something. In connecting with nature and to something bigger than myself, I find a way back to my senses and to a deep-set feeling of ease and contentment; to what most matters right now.
What are the mental health benefits of spending time in nature?
When we spend time outdoors we slow down naturally which lowers the heart rate, blood pressure and stress hormone levels (cortisol and adrenaline). As the body softens, the nervous system calms down and we feel more relaxed, grounded (in the body vs in the head), calm and more confident about ourselves and life. Being in nature strengthens our immune system, improves mood and reduces feelings of isolation (4Health Report & Greater Good Science Centre).
If you you live in London and would like to taste a coaching while walking session, get in touch to book a free initial coaching conversation in Victoria park, East London. Email me at: karen@greenspacecoaching.com
Take a look at my free and downloadable resource How nature can help you be at your best.