The Healing Power of Nature
Upon hearing the words “The healing power of nature”, most people’s minds fly straight to the ’80s with a group of free-spirited hippies in a forest around a campfire loving life. In the 21st century, life is crammed to the limit with stress, anxiety, responsibilities and challenges. It can quite often feel like we are drowning with no escape.
Mental health is still so stigmatised in today’s society. Furthermore, even the mention of it is often being shunned and ignored. Due to this stigmatisation, people often don’t ask for help when they are struggling. Instead, they internalise their struggles, eventually making it worse. As a result, this can lead to even more issues down the road. In addition, the healing power of nature and the health benefits of being in nature is often very overlooked when it comes to being a solution and the first step to asking for help.
We are living and breathing on a beautiful planet full of mysteries and wonders beyond our comprehension. A fact that is very often forgotten in the fast pace of life. More importantly, nature is something that we all take advantage of hundreds of times every day without a second thought. However, if we only stopped and looked, we could benefit from the healing power of nature.
The Benefits of Nature on Our Mental Health
When we say that we could all benefit from the healing power of nature, we are not suggesting that you have to travel to national parks and miles upon miles of open wilderness. Also, we are not saying to scream into the void all your grievances. Instead, you could find peace in the smallest areas of green spaces, from your local park to the flower shop down the road.
Furthermore, there are so many benefits that ensure you feel the healing power of nature. For example:
- Improve your mood
- Reduce feelings of stress or anger
- Help you take time out and feel more relaxed
- Improve your physical health
- Increases your confidence and self-esteem
- Help you be more active
- Help you make new connections
- Provide peer support
The Facts
According to the NHS, during the dreaded pandemic, going for walks, running, or even just sitting in nature was the #1 coping strategy for people to help cope with rising depression, anxiety, and fear of the future. Nature is so vital to human living that even in London - a bustling place of business and a city that never sleeps and covers more than 1500 square meters of space - at least 47% of that is green space.
Thinking of London, you never tend to think about the gorgeous green spaces. However, if you wandered down any street to any small area of greenery, there would be people there sitting and enjoying the surroundings.
Most importantly, studies have proven that the people who spend time in nature regularly:
- Are happier
- Healthier
- More creative
- And more content with life in general
The quiet tranquillity of being immersed in an ever-changing nature gives a person a chance to relax and shut off from the hustle and bustle fully.
In Japan, a study in the 1980s studied the effects of a practice known as “Shinrin-yoku”, which translates to Forrest bathing. Firstly, in the study, they split a group of 280 individuals into two groups and sent one group to the city and the other to the forests of Japan. The study results proved that the group who was sent to the forest not only reported to be calmer and more relaxed but also had lower blood pressure, lower cholesterol and a lower heart rate overall. As a result, this proves that if you are ever feeling overwhelmed and stressed, make sure you take advantage of the healing power of nature. For example, going for a walk will significantly reduce your anxiety and boost your mood.
Summary
So to summarise, if you can’t escape the business of life and feel like life is completely overwhelming, allow yourself to take a trip somewhere green and let the healing power of nature give you peace and restfulness. Take time out of every day to appreciate the world we live in and how incredible it can be.
Written by guest writer
Hattie Bickley
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