How Does Nature Affect Our Mental Health?
Before starting, I would like to acknowledge the unceded traditional territories of the Matsqui, Kwantlen, Katzie, and Semiahmoo First Nations, of which land we are located on.
Hello sunshine and a warm welcome to Spring right around the corner!
I don’t know about you, but this year I find myself craving the longer days, the chirping birds, and smell of grass being cut. All of these sensations paint the same picture as a deep inhale and exhale after being submerged in water. My shoulders drop, and my chest rises with deep relief. In my mind, Spring is always connected to moments to pause and observe the shift in nature, as well as a shift in outlook towards taking breaks and rest. One way both of these are completed is through experiencing nature’s brilliance and dynamic ability to “bounce back” after what feels like an eternity in winter.
How do we tap into that nature-type resiliency? The simplest answer is to be out in nature, but this can look different depending on accessibility and exposure. We are pretty lucky being in the Lower Mainland as nature experiences are ripe for the picking. We have a big variation of green spaces, woodland, water (or blue) spaces, and grassy parks.
Benefits:
When we talk about increasing our resiliency, what does that really mean in terms of the benefits from being in nature? Health and resiliency is a tricky thing because there is no “one-size-fits-all” term, or black and white way to define it. How I see health is being able to do life in a way that fuels the self or encourages a person to pursue passions.
The health benefits of nature first and foremost reduce the current stress we feel, enabling our ability to be resilient. When we experience a decrease in the stress hormone, we no longer feel tension in our body in response to needing to react to stress. Think about the “fight or flight or freeze” response to stress; if we decrease this stress hormone response, our body physically relaxes, and can be open to calming experiences, lowering stress more. Sounds like a win-win to me!
Good mental health does not just mean the absence of feeling terrible, but more so a balance of feeling competent, having independence, and a sense of worth or value. Along with a decrease in the stress hormone, being in nature also contributes to an increase of self-esteem through having a greater sense of worth by connecting with nature that best suits you. Nature doesn’t judge you; it accepts who you are in that moment, and allows you to come and go as you need to. There are lessons that nature can teach us such as care, knowledge, and growth that are mirrored in our own life, and sometimes by viewing these concepts outside of yourself it can bring greater knowledge of who you are and what you are needing.
What can it look like?
What does spending time in nature look like? Well, pretty much anything that is outdoors. While there are benefits from simply viewing nature, like looking out a window, with spring literally around the corner, I would say best practice would be to get those feet outside and experience it. This can look like:
A walk down the street, viewing the trees that line most roads.
Visiting a green grass park.
Spending time at a lake or pond.
Looking up some local hikes/walks through the AllTrails app.
Having lunch on the beach or riverside
Time spent in nature allows your brain to take a deep breath, as well as allowing your body to intuitively move, celebrating the beauty and life around you. Personally, I very much enjoy this time of year with nature as it serves as a visual reminder that life is full of different seasons, some harder than others, but not bad or good. Being able to view nature through the lens of my own hardships is an encouragement that change (or feeling different) can be a sign of evolution and moving towards longer, and brighter, days.
I acknowledge that how we interact with the natural world is a personal journey, and how we define our green space and movement within nature is unique to each individual. Health and wellness ebbs and flows similar to how the seasons blend and evolve into the next. The widening perspective we gain from spending time in nature can be explored through curiosity and wonderment, facilitated with another human. While amazing, nature is not a cure-all for mental health; being able to connect with a mental health professional can increase awareness and create nature engagements as relational and accepting.
