Being in nature changes us
“Study nature, love nature, stay close to nature. It will never fail you.”
One could always remember a day from a childhood when a cold autumn rain kept us indoors, making one miserable and grouchy. Unbeknownst to us, we have directly experienced how nature affects us and our moods. Our parents or grandparents have always pushed children to spend more time outside, and now modern researchers have put it into official papers to prove tremendous benefits of green spaces and being outdoors. Many positive aspects are noted in person-nature connection, but we’ll consider only a few, such as improved cognitive ability, emotional well-being, and safeguarding our eyesight.
Nature changes our cognitive abilities. Being in nature refreshes one’s mind for a much-improved cognitive functioning. Many studies have shown a positive effect of having more green areas in schools or even viewing them from a window. Both green (the flora, such as trees and flowers) and blues spaces (aquatic world) benefit our cognitive health. Increased attention span, problem solving and memory recall were all great consequences. Another simple but much needed effect is perking up of a tired brain after looking out to green areas for even a few minutes.
Nature changes our emotional well-being. It is a well-known fact that less sunlight and shortened days may cause SAD or seasonal-affective disorder for some people. Sort of a temporary depression that improves and resolves with more sunny days. Spending a short time in nature, such as taking a short walk at lunchtime or eating lunch on a bench under some trees, calms one’s heart and mind. Some reported nature evokes feelings of contentment and gratitude. Researchers have noticed teens who have a close connection with nature are more emotionally balanced. Aged people feel more hopeful when having access to view green spaces. As a side note, natural areas such as forests and beaches have significantly greater benefits than a city park; however, any green space contributes to our well-being.
Nature changes us by possibly safeguarding our eyesight. Our increasingly computerized age has birthed a new condition called computer vision syndrome (CSV). Prolonged hours of sitting behind a computer screen and focusing on close objects cause dry eyes, myopia (nearsightedness) and chronic headaches. When I was becoming a bookworm back in 1990s, I was given a sound advice that is still applicable. The advice was to practice 20-20-20. After 20 minutes of reading, focus eyes for 20 seconds on an object 20 feet away. Well, in order to practice 20 feet in our small home I had to look out the window or go outside. Modern researchers are “finding out” what our grandparents knew, that focusing on distant objects while outdoors can significantly reduce the risk of myopia. Children especially require a prolonged outdoor time on green spaces and in a natural light. Even better, outdoor time to see the unobstructed horizon for the sole purpose of training their eyes to focus on far away objects. The being present in nature can only positively affect our eyesight.
One of personal photos from a favorite place with a perfect horizon view. Pismo Beach, CA.
Low exposure to nature is not only a modern century problem. It was common in the past century to recommend sea air for asthma or any chronic respiratory condition, or a summer country visit for malnourished children or anxious patients. Below is a quote from an author and American clergyman who wrote in 1873 encouraging city readers to take to nature for their health.
“Go to the sea-shore, to the mountains, to the wilderness; go anywhere where you can forget your cares and cast aside your burdens... Let the old, old nurse, Nature,... take you to her bosom again; and you will return to the city happier and healthier for the embrace.”
The current times are particularly calling (more like shouting, actually) to exile to wild nature for a few short days to decompress and refresh. Anyone who takes care of their family, can agree with busyness of our lives. As caretakers, we truly require a little nature time. Researchers have also noticed a small decrease in heart rate when viewing nature photos. However, nothing compares to the real thing of being outdoors. It appears that an outdoor plant or a flower bouquet on your dinner table is bringing a piece of nature into our homes. Let us challenge ourselves to spend more time outdoors, for we are only benefiting our health in cognition, emotional well-being, and our eyesight.