How many times have you noticed that your mood improves when you’re outdoors, surrounded by nature? How often have you wrestled with a difficult issue, only to find that the pieces seem to fall into place while you’re taking a walk or sitting on a beach? Many of us instinctively know, and can back up from experience, that being out in nature is good for our mental health. As awareness grows of the need for holistic health solutions, it seems that the medical and scientific establishments are also catching up with what we’ve known all of our lives: interaction with the natural world is good for you.
A recent study at Cornell University, for example, has found that as little as ten minutes exposure to the natural environment can lower stress levels in students [1]. This research, published in Frontiers in Psychology, reviewed previous research into the effect of nature on people aged between 15 and 30, with an aim of discovering what ‘dosage’ of natural environment is necessary for health benefits to be observed.
Cornell found that between 10 and 50 minutes of outdoors time appears to be the optimal level for improving mood and focus, and lowering heart rate and blood pressure. Beyond 50 minutes, the effects tended to plateau [1].
This research has implications for the growing trend towards ecotherapy as a way of treating mental health issues.
Ecotherapy is a term which could cover any number of things, from wilderness retreats of several weeks or even months, to a quick stroll in the park during your lunch break at work. It incorporates things like green exercise initiatives, art therapy outdoors, horticultural therapy, and some kinds of animal assisted therapy. There are no end of inventive ways in which we can use the natural environment to contribute to our wellness.
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