Our need for nature

Towards the close of the last century psychologists began to take note of the calming effects of nature on psychiatric patients. Those placed in environments where they could regularly see rural scenes required less medication.

More in-depth research showed that open woodland scenes were more effective. This was put down to our ancestors’ need for seeing approaching danger and being able to climb out of harm’s way.

This is the question a recent study by researchers at the University of Utah and published in Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment sought to answer.

The researchers followed inmates in solitary confinement at an Oregon prison for a year, showing one population a nature video during their 45-minute exercise period four to five times a week, and comparing it to another population that did not watch the videos. The videos depicted a variety of nature scenes, ranging from deserts to oceans to rainforests.

A University of California study last year determined the major factors here:

1. Vitamin D helps your body function more efficiently. Vitamin D also improves blood flow and lowers blood pressure by relaxing your blood vessels.

2. Natural light normalizes your sleep schedule. Melatonin is a hormone that controls your body’s internal clock (it makes you sleepy). The melatonin-producing part of your brain (the pineal gland) is directly affected by access to light—it remains inactive during the day and is switched on when darkness sets in. The right amount of melatonin ensures you have a good night’s sleep—and wake feeling rejuvenated.

3. Being in nature causes you to unplug. Multi-tasking, particularly with electronic devices, is a leading cause of stress. A University of California, Irvine study found that people who had access to email and therefore received a steady stream of messages throughout the day had higher heart rates than those who were cut off from electronic communication.

4. A natural environment helps you centre your mind. Leaving your devices behind and heading out into nature can also be calming for more metaphysical reasons. A study by the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health found that a natural environment allowed people to leave the stressors of their everyday lives behind and instead focus their minds on something purer. By centring your mind, you can relax your body.

5. It gives your brain the downtime it needs to recharge

6. It lowers stress hormone levels. A recent Dutch study suggests that spending time in nature and performing repetitive tasks such as gardening can fight stress better than other leisure activities.

7. Fresh air improves blood pressure. In polluted or indoor environments, the body must work harder to get the oxygen it needs to function. This raises your heart rate and blood pressure.

8. Breathing is your body’s built-in stress buster. Research shows that breathing techniques can dampen the production of stress hormones as well as train your body’s reaction to stressful situations.

9. Oxygen affects your sense of well-being. Levels of oxygen in your brain are tied to levels of serotonin, the neurotransmitter that affects your mood, appetite, memory, social behaviour, and other processes. Negatively ionized air promotes alpha brain waves and increases brain wave amplitude, which creates an overall clear and calming effect, so including a waterfall hike in your next vacation can really help you relax.

10. Bacteria in soil also boosts your serotonin levels. Nature’s calming effect comes from not only the fresh air, but also the ground. Research done by scientists at the University of Colorado at Boulder shows that Mycobacterium vaccae, a harmless bacterium commonly found in soil, can act as a natural antidepressant by increasing the release and metabolism of serotonin in parts of the brain that control cognitive function and mood. The bacteria can also decrease inflammation in your immune system, thereby alleviating issues from heart disease to diabetes.

11. Physical activity pumps up your endorphins. As humans we have become less connected to nature and as a result risk losing our essential health buffer.

We are being told that people in their teens and twenties are getting more likely to be depressed, self-injure, or commit suicide. This has become worse during Covid lock-down. Many cities overseas are ‘greening’ by planting more trees, creating vertical gardens or planting flowers and/or shrubs on rooftops.

Singapore is a world leader in this regard. Maybe we should look at what is happening in these places and compare psychological data across populations. Many of our young people are exercising less, spending more time indoors and doing face-to-face socialising a lot less. Perhaps we should be thinking more about making parks, botanical gardens and swimming an attractive leisure activity.

In Melbourne we are very lucky in the number and range of bicycle and walking tracks close to the capital. Generally, these things are local council projects, so a bit of a nudge might not go astray.