Environment and Behavior, 29(4), 468.ĭevries, S. Where does community grow? The social context created by nature in urban public housing. Are nature lovers happy? On various indicators of well-being and connectedness with nature. Acta Horticulturae, 775, 117.Ĭervinka, R., Röderer, K., & Hefler, E. The Association Between Indoor Plants, Stress, Productivity And Sick Leave In Office Workers. BMC Public Health, 10, 456.īringslimark, T., Patil, G., & Hartig, T. A systematic review of evidence for the added benefits to health of exposure to natural environments. The cognitive benefits of interacting with nature. It appears as though nature inspires feelings that connect us to each other and our environment.īerman, M. When participants viewed nature scenes, the parts of the brain associated with empathy and love lit up, but when they viewed urban scenes, the parts of the brain associated with fear and anxiety were activated. This experience of connection may be explained by studies that used fMRI to measure brain activity. In addition to this greater sense of community, they had a reduced risk of street crime, lower levels of violence and aggression between domestic partners, and a better capacity to cope with life’s demands, especially the stresses of living in poverty. Another study at the University of Illinois suggests that residents in Chicago public housing who had trees and green space around their building reported knowing more people, having stronger feelings of unity with neighbors, being more concerned with helping and supporting each other, and having stronger feelings of belonging than tenants in buildings without trees. Stories adapted from The Healing Earth and Nature-Guided Therapy.Īccording to a series of field studies conducted by Kuo and Coley at the Human-Environment Research Lab, time spent in nature connects us to each other and the larger world. “Just by spending time outdoors each week I felt rejuvenated and relaxed when I came into the office on Monday,” he said. ![]() Within a few months, James’s blood pressure had decreased, he had lost several pounds, and he had more energy. The group gradually began jogging and rock climbing. James was awed by the natural display of the trees and the quiet hum of wildlife along the hiking trails. On the advice of his doctor, James began a green exercise program with a local community group that walked through the countryside on Saturdays. He was overweight, had high blood pressure, and always felt tired. I’m resting.”Īt fifty, James was beginning to feel the effects of working sixty hours a week, rarely exercising, and eating lunch at his desk. “It covers everything in me, and it’s like my heart has gone to sleep…but I’m not dead inside. “I realized that my depression is like the snow,” he said. As the snow began to fall on his own body, he realized that he was not separate from the sleeping animals and organisms below the surface of the pond. The fish and frogs and larvae that normally thrived under the water were all sleeping, he realized. Sitting next to the pond, he began to think about what lay underneath the ice. He settled beside a frozen pond and noticed that the sensory input from his surroundings-the frigid wind, the blinding snow-had distracted him from his own depressed mental chatter. Terry’s boots sank into the snow as he walked. Snow covered the flat land as far as the horizon line. It was winter, and Terry noticed the way the wind slapped him in the face when he got out of his truck. His therapist chose an unconventional treatment and sent Terry to his farm, located several miles outside city limits. Terry was suffering from one of the most powerful bouts of depression in his life. Life is in front of me and I have lots of options.” My courage surprised me…Being surrounded by nature reminded me to keep the Big Picture in mind not only during my wilderness experience, but also when I returned home. Of her experience, she said, “I learned the depth of my strength and how much I could accomplish. Seeing she was depressed, her parents gifted her with two weeks of wilderness training. ![]() Real-Life Examples of People Helped by NatureĪfter months fruitlessly searching for a job after graduation, Cheryl was losing confidence in herself.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |