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Humans were made to live in harmony with nature. Thus, they have a connection with nature. Unfortunately, this relationship has deteriorated due to rapid damage of the environment, obsession with technology and the fear of the unknown, which makes people avoid outdoors.
Scientific research over the years has shown incredible positive effects of taking a nature walk. There is always some force in the nature that resets everything that is going wrong with our bodies. Here are some therapeutic effects.
1. Reducing inflammation
Inflammation is the body’s natural process to respond to any damage to the body’s tissues whether by an injury or by pathogens.
Inflammation goes away by itself. However, if it goes into overdrive, it can cause autoimmune disorders, cancer, depression, and many other ills. Spending some time
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Relieve stress
Outdoor recreation is known to reduce stress. A common type of therapy, which is called forest therapy, is known to decrease cortisol levels and the heart rate. The therapy involves spending time in the forest regularly. Lower levels of cortisol cause lower stress levels and higher satisfaction among individuals.
4. Restoring mental energy
Every one of us reaches a point where he or she feels as if the brain is grinding to a halt. This is what mental researchers call mental fatigue. One of the things that can restore the mind back to working is the taking a walk outdoors. Nature energizes the brain to start functioning fast, eliciting feelings of awe and feeling refreshed.
5. Improving concentration
A walk in nature can help restore your waning attention. If you have been working for long, there are chances that your ability to focus may wane. If you reach this stage, take a walk outdoors and relax your mind for a while. You will notice a better ability to focus and increased concentration in your task. Experts encourage regular breaks from work after a few hours of working.
6. Enhance creativity and sharper
Have you noticed that we feel a powerful desire to connect with nature during difficult times? Whether we are injured, depressed or sad our inclination towards nature increases. Patients in hospitals recover faster if they are in a room with a nice view. Why? Because nature is so pure and powerful that can restore our spirits and heal our bodies and minds. The beauty of nature has been praised in art, poetry, writings and films. Naturalists, poets and writers have documented the many benefits of spending time in nature. "Calypso Borealis" by Muir and "I wandered Lonely as a Cloud" by Wordsworth are two great pieces of literature where our hearts are filled with an indescribable emotion. John Muir and William Wordsworth express their relationship
Nature can keep its blissful purity untroubled in the moment, not convicted by what all society has brought into this world. Furthermore, many find nature as their safe place, the one place they can go too, and no one can interfere with their happiness. John Muir and William Wordsworth noticed the peaceful nature brought to their soul when traveling on their journey. Do not let your hands be weak, for you shall be rewarded.” – 2 Chronicles 15:7 John Muir and William Wordsworth both faced challenges to get to where they were going.
"Nature is a setting that fits equally well a comic or morning piece." (Emerson, 388) The cave gave them the sense of relaxation and freedom to discover themselves. Some people go out into nature to disconnect and clear their mind others go to seek answers whatever it may be but it does change an individual. "The surface of the earth is soft and impressionable by the feet of men; and so with the path the mind travels." (Thoreau, 407). Some might see it as if one were running away from problems but it is more as if one were to come back to view it with clear refreshed eyes.
There is this feeling we all experience when we step away from the chaos of rushing cars, infrastructure, and artificial lights, and we step into nature. Some describe it as bliss, comfort, excitement, pleasure or just pure happiness. This is the answer to the question Paul Bloom asks “Why should we care about nature?” in his article “Natural Happiness.” Paul goes through this process in which he uncovers the fact that “real natural habitats provide significant sources of pleasure for modern humans”, regardless of our need for food, clean water, and air. There are 3 main arguments that Paul makes in this article that I find particularly interesting, they include: “Our hunger for the natural is everywhere. In many regards our species has already kissed nature goodbye, and we are better off for it. There is a considerable mismatch between
Richard Louv, the author of, “Last Child in the Woods: Saving our children from nature deficit-disorder,” talks about nature and its benefits to a healthy development. Time Experiencing with nature allows people to have healthy development since it promotes creativity and imagination. It does not take more than a couple of steps outside to see nature. It is all around us. It can even be right outside our window. Leaving the blinds open can bring peace of mind, just by viewing it. As people experience time with nature, no matter the age, they develop greater creativity and imagination. It is like people today fear nature.
Other techniques to reducing stress, is listening to music, pampering yourself a massage/spa day, talking it out to family/friends, baking/cooking, praying/meditating and even playing with your pet.
College students are commonly drowning in stress, and oftentimes they have no idea how to relieve their stress in a healthy manner. They are either too busy or worried about stigma to go to traditional therapy, and it can be hard to find healthy coping skills for stress on your own. Ecotherapy, or basically interaction with nature, is a healthy and completely free way to reduce stress; all you need is the ability to go outside, preferably in a natural space like a forest or field, or in a park or similar area. Ecotherapy has been proven to reduce stress and relieve symptoms of mental illnesses, plus with the added benefit of promoting physical activity, which in itself can reduce stress, there really aren’t any cons to this form of therapy.
on my work enough. Even when I try my hardest to concentrate, my mind seems to
The wilderness provides tremendous advantages for all people. These benefits serve a dual purpose: "to renew the body and spirit and inspire a passion for the land" . People seek out the wilderness for freedom, fun, reconnecting with oneself, rejuvenation, relaxation, simplicity, and solace. Outdoor recreation builds character by challenging the spirit and fostering self-sufficiency. On a universal level, the wilderness provides a sense of wonder and excitement, reestablishing man's bond with nature. People trek outdoors to gain knowledge of the world around them as well as feel connected to nature.
Ask most people how they determine who sent them an email message and the response is almost universally, "By the From line." Unfortunately this symptomatic of the current confusion among internet users as to where particular messages come from and who is spreading spam and viruses. The "From" header is little more than a courtesy to the person receiving the message. People spreading spam and viruses are rarely courteous. In short, if there is any question about where a particular email message came from the safe bet is to assume the "From" header is forged.
On the other hand, nature elements are proven to restore attentional fatigue and contribute both psychological and physiological benefits (Hartig et al., 2003; Ulrich & Simons, 1986; Ulrich et al., 1991). R. Kaplan and Kaplan (1989) proposed a restorative environment requires four features: being away, extent, fascination and compatibility to promote recovery from attentional fatigue. In natural environment, urban dwellers can obtain a sense of freedom from daily routine and projects that require massive mental efforts (being away). Nature usually has abundant and coherent landscape structures. It encompasses trails for exploration (extent), and many attractive elements, such as: animals, trees or plants, water features (fascination), and it
Personally, my level of focus depends solely on what I 'm studying. If I 'm trying to get math homework done, I do my best work in my apartment with music playing in the background or even a
The pros of exercise can maintain the levels of stress and anxiety in a variety of ways. Simple exercises like walking around your neighborhood or on a treadmill can ease the amount of stress in your life. Scientists say that a 10-minute walk temporary reduces anxiety and depression levels by 25% over the next 5 years of your life (Exercise for Stress and Anxiety). This study shows how simple,...
Cortisol, which is the stress-hormone, is not good when it is constant and prolonged; it can make the individual susceptible to many potential health risks, such as hypertension, heart problems, anxiety, depression and a whole host of other ill health results. If the person is in a long period of stress, then the risk of death is high because their body is unable to go back to a state of homeostasis, or balance. Studies have shown that prayer and meditation in the lives of the elderly can have a positive, healthy effect and helps the older individual better deal with the stressful events of life. By incorporating these practices along with exercise, social connectedness, and good sleep and eating habits, a person is better able to bounce back after experiencing stress. (Science Journal, 5(2), 74-89).
Calming my mind by hiking is one of my favorite things to do in my leisure time. I become so content from being able to forget about the usual troubles that are constantly bouncing around inside my head. Not having to worry if I will be able to get my rent in on time, or worry about if I remembered to lock the front door, which I so often forget to do, it frees my mind up for more happy and productive thoughts. Walking for days alone in the woods brings me such euphoria. A high comparable to one someone would get off of taking amphetamines. Although it may seem like a contradiction to my prior statement about being having a free mind, but when my mind is like this I can focus on so many things. Issues I had before don 't seem like issues anymore, the