The majority of people in the Western
world live in busy, congested cities. Many of us have been completely
cut off from nature in our day-to-day lives, especially compared to the
generations before us. There have been many studies showing that city
dwellers are much more likely to suffer from depression and other forms
of anxiety than people who live in more natural, rural areas.
This may seem obvious to some, since the
feeling we get from going for a walk through a park or forest, going
camping, or just getting out of the city in general is so refreshing and
generally very relaxing. But new research is proving just how important
getting out of the city and into nature can be for our mental and
physical well-being.
Can Being In Nature Actually Change Our Brains In A Way That Positively Impacts Our Health?
Gregory Bratman, a graduate student at
the Emmett Interdisciplinary Program in Environment and Resources at
Stanford University, wanted to find out. Researchers conducted a study which
asked randomly selected participants to spend 50 minutes walking in
either a natural or urban setting, and to submit to a series of
psychological assessments before and after the walk. They found
that volunteers who walked through a lush, green portion of Stanford
campus showed improve cognitive function and mood compared to those who
walked near heavy traffic for the same period of time. However, while
this study showed that nature could have a positive effect on mental
well-being, it did not examine the neurological mechanisms underlying
this change.
Does Walking In Nature Affect A Person’s Tendency To Brood?
Brooding is a state of constant
worry and stress about everyday things in our lives. This type of
thinking is not healthy or helpful and is actually detrimental to our
overall mental health. In many cases, these thinking tendencies act as a
precursor to depression. Not surprisingly, brooding is much more common
to people who live in cities than to rural dwellers.
This sort of rumination is strongly
associated with increased activity in an area in the brain known as the
subgenual prefrontal cortex. This sparked the interest of Bratman and
his colleagues because it was something they could measure, particularly
before and after exposure to nature. Thus began a second study.
38 healthy adult city dwellers were
gathered and asked to complete a questionnaire to determine how
frequently they were brooding. Then researchers took brain scans that
measure the blood flow that was passing through each person’s subgenual
prefrontal cortex. The volunteers were split into two groups: one was
assigned to go for a walk through a lush, leafy, quiet park on the
campus while the other was assigned to a loud, multi lane highway with
busy traffic. Neither of the groups were allowed to walk in pairs or
listen to music during the exercise.
As soon as they completed the exercise
they returned to the lab and answered the same questionnaire, then had
their brains scanned again.
The results were as to be expected – the
group who walked along the highway still had increased levels of blood
flow to their subgenual prefrontal cortex and their broodiness scores
were unchanged. The group who walked amongst nature, on the other hand,
showed very meaningful improvements in their mental well-being. They
were not dwelling on as many aspects of their lives and less blood was
flowing to their subgenual prefrontal cortex. Indeed, this area of the
brain appeared quieter.
The Results
The results of this study “strongly
suggest that getting out into natural environments” could be a simple,
effective, and almost immediate way to improve moods for those who dwell
in cities, Mr. Bratman said.
Try It Out For Yourself
Really, you have nothing to lose here,
if you find yourself feeling stressed out and are worrying regularly, or
even if you are not, get out there. Spend at least a little time
outside each day – go for a nice walk in a park or find a quiet area
near you to relax. Try to get out of the city for a short amount of time
every week. Give it a shot and keep track of your mood and your
thoughts, this could be the answer to your problems! Nature really is a
good thing.
Much Love
Sources are embedded within this article.
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