4 Benefits of Connecting with Nature: Heal Yourself and Find Your True Nature
Introduction: Nature is the Ultimate Healer
The closer we get to Nature, the closer we get to our True Nature
~Donna Maltz
Happy Fall! I just got back from North Carolina, where I was visiting family and friends and got to experience the magnificent onset of the changing season. By now, you know that Nature therapy is my jam—I teach it and preach the benefits of connecting with our natural world. Nature is the ultimate healer. You know how good it feels to get out and relax in nature, right? It’s time away from the stresses of everyday life, space to breathe, and clean air to rejuvenate. But did you also know there are scientifically proven health benefits to connecting with the natural world? That’s why they call it Nature therapy!
Nature reminds us to stop, look, and listen.
Benefit #1: Nature Reduces Stress and Anxiety
Being out in nature has a measurable effect on your stress levels—they go right down. This also lowers your risk of anxiety and depression. Even if you live and work in high-rise glass and steel buildings, having a dose of the natural world can help lift your mood, cognitive function, and mental health.
Any connection with Nature helps:
- A walk in the park
- A plant on your desk
- Looking out of the window
- Feeling fresh air on your skin
Benefit #2: Connection with Nature is Healing
Studies have shown that even seeing a natural landscape can help hospital patients recover faster. It also helps your immune system function better. Scientists have found more than twenty pathways or connections between exposure to nature and improved health, protecting you from heart disease, depression, and diabetes. Harvard Health Publishing says: “Under the right circumstances, 10 to 15 minutes of sun on the arms and legs a few times a week can generate nearly all the vitamin D we need.”
For optimal vitamin D production:
- Expose at least 60% of your skin to sunshine
- Spend 15 minutes daily in the sun (if possible)
- Protect yourself with sunglasses, light clothing, and a wide-brimmed hat if staying out longer
Benefit #3: Nature Changes Your Perceptions of the World
Researchers have found that walking through a rural area changed study participants’ attitude toward their to-do list—they saw their tasks as more manageable than those who walked through city streets. People who exercise outdoors have additional benefits:
Outdoor exercise benefits:
- Move faster with lower perception of effort
- Enjoy exercise more
- Are more likely to stick to their routine
- Breathe deeply and clear their lungs
- Lower blood pressure and improve circulation
The outdoor air provides an energy boost while changing our perception of the world for the better.
Benefit #4: Nature is Great for Your Mental Health
Remember how good it feels to be near the ocean, a river, or a waterfall? That’s because the air near moving water contains negative ions that can act as natural anti-depressants. It’s the same effect as the change in the air after a thunderstorm when the atmosphere is no longer oppressive but clear and fresh. Many studies show that people living in green areas or who have access to green spaces in cities have significantly better mental well-being than those living away from Nature.
Just 15 minutes outdoors in Nature can:
- Drop your stress levels
- Improve anxiety and depression
- Enhance brain function
- Improve creativity, concentration, focus, and mental clarity
Even having an aquarium, houseplants, or a view of green space helps. When your natural composition couples with Nature, many automatic and beautiful things begin to happen inside your body, improving brain function in particular. Nature has been studied as a treatment for children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) because of its powerful effects on focus and mental clarity.
Conclusion: Your Butt Needs to Be Outside
There are a lot of good reasons to spend more time outdoors. Your vision, lungs, and mental abilities improve. It’s a great stress reliever, and you can create all the vitamin D you need. You’ll be healthier and happier in several ways when you trade in your smartphone and computer for time spent outdoors.
Your Call to Action
This week, commit to at least one outdoor activity. Trade your screen time for green space, and notice how your mood and energy shift. Share in the comments what outdoor activity brings you the most joy!
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