Does Being in Nature Impact Our Wellbeing?
Does Being in Nature Impact Our Wellbeing?
Research reveals that environments can increase or reduce our stress levels, which in turn impacts our bodies. What you are seeing, hearing, experiencing at any moment is changing not only your mood, but how your nervous, endocrine, and immune systems are working.
The stress of an unpleasant environment can cause you to feel anxious, or sad, or helpless. This in turn elevates your blood pressure, heart rate, and muscle tension and suppresses your immune system. A pleasing environment reverses that and this weekend, I found the perfect place at Sculpture by The Lakes in Dorset, UK.
NATURE HEALS
Being in nature reduces our responses to anger, stress and fear. Exposure to nature (trees, flowers, water elements, small wild-life) not only makes us feel better emotionally and adds to our physical wellbeing but it also reduces our blood pressure, heart rate, muscle tension and reduces the production of the stress hormones.
NATURE SOOTHES
In addition, nature helps us cope with pain. Because we are genetically programmed to find trees, plants, water, and other nature elements engrossing, we are absorbed by nature scenes and distracted from our pain and discomfort.
This is nicely demonstrated in a now classic study of patients who underwent gallbladder surgery; half had a view of trees and half had a view of a wall. According to the physician who conducted the study, Robert Ulrich, the patients with the view of trees tolerated pain better, appeared to nurses to have fewer negative effects, and spent less time in a hospital. More recent studies have shown similar results with scenes from nature and plants in hospital rooms.
NATURE RESTORES
One of the most intriguing areas of current research is the impact of nature on general wellbeing. In one study in “Mind,” 95% of those interviewed said their mood improved after spending time outside, changing from depressed, stressed, and anxious to more calm and balanced. Other studies by Ulrich, Kim, and Cervinka show that time in nature or scenes of nature are associated with a positive mood, and psychological wellbeing, meaningfulness, and vitality.
Furthermore, time in nature or viewing nature scenes increases our ability to pay attention. Because humans find nature inherently interesting, we can naturally focus on what we are experiencing out in nature. This also provides a respite for our overactive minds, refreshing us for new tasks.
NATURE CONNECTS
According 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. Sculpture by the Lakes is a great venue to re-connect with your loved ones or take time connecting with yourself for some “self-care” me-time.
This experience of connection may be explained by studies that used MRI to measure brain activity. 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.
It appears as though nature inspires feelings that connect us to each other and our environment.
If you’re interested in having a beautiful day out in the Dorset countryside then pre-book your tickets online with EventBrite for Sculpture by The Lakes.