The Surprising Benefits of Nature for Mental Wellness
Kelly Anderson, PhD
It doesn’t take a degree in psychology to know that being outside and surrounded by nature can be beneficial to you. In fact, it’s not unusual for clients I work with to be able to identify that being in nature in some fashion is a good way for them to relax, reconnect with themselves or others, and to feel a bit recharged.
Being outdoors is often synonymous for disconnecting - from screens, from work, from the stressors of our day. This alone can be enough to allow for a sense of calmness within ourselves, a chance to use mindfulness to the things around us, and get mental and physical separation from some of our stressors. Add a bit of something beautiful to look at and this is a good recipe for wellness.
The unique contributions of nature go beyond these fairly intuitive things and research has found a number of positive outcomes associated with spending time in nature, outcomes that are both pretty obvious and some you might find quite surprising.
Nature’s Wellness
Below are findings from research that has been conducted looking at ways that nature, in one form or another, has been correlated with better mental health outcomes.
Cognitive and Brain Benefits - ways that nature has been shown to impact cognitive performance
Children in schools that are surrounded by greenery have been found to perform better on cognitive (thinking) tasks (1).
Children with homes surrounded by more greenery have been found to have better self-control (1).
People residing in more green living environments, versus urban environments, have better working memory (sometimes called short-term memory by laypeople), attention, and cognitive flexibility (switching more easily between tasks) (1).
Happiness, Joy, and Wellbeing - ways that nature has been found to impact overall well-being
Being in contact with nature has been found to be correlated with increased happiness, positive affect, positive social interactions, a sense of purpose in life, and decreased mental distress (5).
One longitudinal study following children across several decades found that kids who grew up with more green space were at a reduced risk for psychiatric illness later in life including depression, anxiety, and substance use. Children living in the lowest green spaces had a 55% higher risk of developing a mental health concern (6).
People who report feeling connected to nature also report higher social connections and feeling happier overall (9).
Nature doesn’t only include greenery - other environments have been found to be as impactful on wellbeing as greenspaces
Several studies have found that blue spaces (ocean, lakes, other bodies of water) also have similar effects on wellbeing (10) and research suggests the more diverse nature you expose yourself to, the better you’ll feel (11).
Other ways that nature helps our wellbeing
Reduces symptoms of depression
Reduces symptoms of depression
Improves sleep
Reduces stress
Improves heart disease and diabetes outcomes (12).
You might be asking yourself, why? Why does nature have such a positive impact on us? There are a few existing theories being researched to help answer this question. One suggests that because we descended from our ancestors who relied heavily on nature to survive, we have a biological need to be in nature and feel better when we are (2). Another theory posits that being in nature creates a physiological response that lowers stress levels and a third has suggested that being in nature restores us, increasing our ability to focus and maintain attention.
While we may not know (yet!) what it is exactly about being in nature that helps, there’s clear reason to believe that it is helpful and has numerous benefits. Try getting 5-10 minutes of connection with nature daily, if you’re not already. Yes, just a few minutes is enough to be effective. One study showed that even 40 seconds of looking at greenery between tedious tasks was enough to increase attention and focus (3). This can be getting out for a walk, parking the car on your way home next to some greenery, or even sitting next to a houseplant. If you’re already getting some outdoor time, try increasing that time to about 15-20 minutes a day as one study found that the people who spent 2 or more hours outdoor a week reported the highest overall well-being (8).
If you don’t have time to get outdoors, have mobility issues, or lack of access to green spaces, you can still benefit from nature in other ways. Try listening to nature noises (crickets, ocean waves, the wind blowing) as research has found that this too, is helpful for mental performance (4). Or find a video of nature online - watching nature on a screen can also have positive effects, though not as much as if you are able to actually get outdoors (7).
See if you’re able to make getting in or around nature a part of your daily routine and take time to notice if this helps to improve your mental well-being.
References
Current Directions in Psychological Science, Vol. 28, No. 5, 2019
International Journal of Wellbeing, Vol. 5, No. 4, 2015
Lee, K.E., et al., Journal of Environmental Psychology, Vol. 42, No. 1, 201
Van Hedger, S.C., et. al., Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, Vol. 26, No. 2, 2019
Science Advances, Vol. 5, No. 7, 2019
Engemann, K., et al., PNAS, Vol. 116, No. 11, 2019
Mayer, F.S., et al., Environment and Behavior, Vol. 41, No. 5, 2009
Scientific Reports, Vol. 9, No. 1, 2019
Environment and Behavior, Vol. 46, No. 1, 2014
Wyles, K.J., et al., Environment and Behavior, Vol. 51, No. 2, 2019
Wolf, L.J., et al., PLOS ONE, Vol. 12, No. 1, 2017
Nature–Based Interventions for Improving Health and Wellbeing: The Purpose, the People and the Outcomes