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 Nature Switch

This post will analyze the potential benefits of nature and how it might be able to contribute to stress relief.

Nature has always been viewed as a necessary component of life. Often, people are intuitively drawn to plant-covered hikes and animal-filled safaris as they seek relaxation from hectic schedules overloaded with work, noise, and pollution. In recent years, studies have confirmed that spending time in nature is more than just a pleasant escape; spending time in natural environments can offer many health benefits including stress relief.

We'll now take a look at what some of these benefits are exactly, discussing their costs and contrast the intricacies between human-made amenities like zoos or national parks.

What are the benefits of nature?

The research on the benefits of nature is extensive, but to simplify it for this blog post, we'll reference a couple of different types of benefits: decreased stress and health, increase in immune function, and improved cognitive function.

Decreased stress – The research in nature is pretty clear on this point: spending time in an environment that's been heavily disturbed by humans tends to result in less stress than spending time elsewhere. Spending time in a forest (compared to a city) results in lower blood pressure as well as decreased levels of cortisol (the hormone associated with stress). Even viewing photographs of forests can help to decrease levels of cortisol. In addition to decreased cortisol levels resulting from spending time in nature, the benefits can last for up to 48 hours.

Health – Spending time in nature seems to have an impact on immune function. A 1999 epidemiological study reported that children with high levels of participation in outdoor activities seemed to have less sickness than those who did not participate as much outdoors. This evidence has been repeated many times over the years, with many studies showing lower rates of infections and illnesses among people who spend more time outside. In fact, spending about 2 hours a week outside may be associated with a 50% reduction in infections compared to spending only about 30 minutes per week outside.

Immune function isn't the only health benefit of spending time in nature; some research has found that spending time in nature reduces body fat and increases muscle mass. This research highlights an interesting point about the difference between humans interacting with their environment and humans interacting with environments that have been altered by humans. With more studies suggesting benefits from nature interacting with human-designed environments, it's clear that simply being outdoors can be a stress reliever and a health booster.

Introspection – Some research suggests that simply being outdoors can help us to think more clearly, helping us to make better decisions and solve problems more effectively. This increased problem-solving ability seems to be especially beneficial for those subjects suffering from attention deficit disorder – a broad term used to describe a group of problems that include difficulties focusing, short attention spans, and lack of motivation. For example, one study found that children with ADD showed more improvements in their ability to focus after spending time in nature as opposed to spending time in a city.

Cognitive benefits – This is perhaps the most controversial benefit of nature because it involves plants and animals – but it's not without its merits. Research has found that spending time in a forest can improve memory, especially for children who are stressed by multiple responsibilities and distractions. In one study, children who spent an entire day in the wilderness improved their memories over those who spent only half of the time outdoors. These children also showed better attention spans.

Can we replicate nature outside?

While it's clear that nature has health benefits for humans, whether or not humans can duplicate these benefits with artificial "nature" is a different matter. Although artificial settings may seem similar to natural settings, there are some significant differences between them (including the way they are constructed). Just because humans can't recreate the natural world does not mean artificial environments can never be valuable.

For example, many people enjoy visiting zoos and national parks to get a dose of nature. However, zoos and parks are not pure nature – they contain large amounts of artificial light, which makes the animals less comfortable than those in the wild. Recent research suggests that artificial lighting is actually harmful to animals' health – with foreign light disrupting their circadian rhythms, causing metabolic issues. This research suggests that zoos and parks should consider turning off all artificial lighting to allow animals to be more comfortable there.

Similarly, some people enjoy spending time on vacation in natural environments but are worried about all the pollution present in these areas. After all, humans are found everywhere – and with us comes trash, as well as airborne particles like soot and dust. Such particles can have a negative impact on health and increase the risk of respiratory problems. However, research suggests that these problems may be minimized if people take small steps to minimize their exposure to pollution in the outdoors. For example, one study found that respiratory distress may be reduced by wearing a mask while biking or walking in a polluted area. This finding is especially important for those who suffer from allergies or asthma since these illnesses can significantly compromise health at any time throughout the year.

Some suggest that artificial settings like zoos provide an opportunity for humans to observe animals up close. However, this may not be the case for all animals. For example, some animals are naturally afraid of humans and will attempt to avoid contact with them – these animals may be more comfortable in the wild than in a zoo.

Myths about nature

Although much of the research conducted on humans suggests that nature can help humans to better cope with stress, there are some myths about nature that also deserve attention. Here are five important myths about nature:

Sleep and sleep cycles Most people claim that they don't need as much sleep at night when they're out in the wilderness compared to when they're at home or in an urban area. However, one study suggests that there is no difference in how much any of us can sleep in either setting. In fact, it's often impossible to get a full 8 hours of sleep when we're out in nature – and this isn't necessarily bad (and it might be good). Most people claim that they don't need as much sleep at night when they're out in the wilderness compared to when they're at home or in an urban area. However, one study suggests that there is no difference in how much any of us can sleep in either setting. In fact, it's often impossible to get a full 8 hours of sleep when we're out in nature – and this isn't necessarily bad (and it might be good).

Conclusion

Nature is undoubtedly a great source of stress relief and health benefits, with many health problems being prevented by time spent in nature. However, the environment affects us more than we might realize – from creating more opportunities for healing to reducing disease risks.

As humans, we can choose to maintain our contact with nature or make our own handiwork by altering natural environments. While humans are unlikely to ever recreate the natural world entirely (plant life would need hundreds of years to grow back), we can certainly take steps towards doing so and experience the comfort benefits of being connected to nature in an artificial setting.