Don't we say "go and recharge your batteries in nature?". Without really identifying this well-being felt, nature does us good. It is now proven by numerous studies: contact with nature brings many health benefits, both physically and mentally. We explain why and how to benefit from the powers of nature.
As close as possible to nature
When we talk about nature and "contact" with it, we are talking about different interactions. Indeed, nature , as opposed to the city, represents everything that is plant-based, wild, free of constructions. We are talking about an environment where natural elements such as the sea, a river, a tree, a mountain, are present. An environment where we can feel them, like hearing or smelling the wind, the rain, the thunder. This contact is an interaction that brings the 5 senses into play, together or not. The blue of the sky, the sound of the sea, the touch of the earth, the scent of cut grass are all signals that bring a feeling of happiness and calm. Simply installing green plants near you brings serenity and better oxygenation. In English we even talk about "green vitamin", the green vitamin, in reference to the stimulating effects of nature on man, which could be administered in cures or in a simple daily dose!
Nature, in what dose?
This "dose" can be achieved bya walk in the forest, a coffee break in a park rather than in the cafeteria. Like a medicine, we can modulate the frequency and duration to increase the benefits. This need for time in contact with nature, to "experience" it through our senses, is a fundamental need of the species. A need that has been ignored for too long and impossible to live in urban lives where sedentary lifestyles reign. Losing this contact with nature regularly results in a lack that can be felt on health. This is what scientists call "the extinction of experience". According to a study by the Universities of Exeter (United Kingdom) and Uppsala (Sweden), 2 hours per week in nature is enough to already observe well-being and positive health effects. Remember: gardening is a particularly anti-stress activity since it combines exposure and direct contact with nature with a satisfying and rewarding action.
The city, source of our ills?
Man is probably not made to live without nature. We have also kept from our past a reptilian brain that always expects to be surrounded by light, green, blue, noise and that has a hard time evolving in a gray world, filled with artificial noises. In fact, the thermo-industrial civilization, which has made almost all traces of nature disappear in the city, does not date from so long ago. It forces man to adapt to aggressions perceived by his brain, to an exhausting and permanent urban over-stimulation where the 5 senses are saturated with images and smells, pollution, horns, agitation… Sight, smell, hearing are subjected to enormous stress, which keeps the body in a state of permanent alert. Subjected to so much anxiety, loss of concentration, overheating and mental exhaustion, some organisms can experience depression and psychological disorders. That's why it's no wonder we feel so "relieved" when everything stops when we go out into nature! Good news: this antidote works almost immediately!
Reconnecting with the very heart of this precious nature is not a whim or a snobbery of modern urbanites, but a visceral need and a remedy for many ills. Specialists have dubbed this instinctive and primary need, “biophilia”.
Walking in nature: an antidepressant
Many studies have focused on the benefits of walking in nature. One of them shows that five minutes of exercise or walking in a park, in nature or in a green environment on a regular basis has beneficial effects on mental health! Walking in a green space is a way of putting the brain on pause, literally. In fact, a researcher observed that at the end of a walk in nature, the prefrontal cortex is less active, whereas it is very active when we are depressed. A walk in nature regulates emotions, improves mood, and calms by reducing rumination and anxious thoughts. It rests the mind , but also the body: blood pressure remains stable during a walk in the forest, while it increases if we "walk" in the city near a road, as do the heart rate and the level of cortisol, the famous stress hormone that the urban environment stimulates. The benefits of sport are greater when practiced outdoors. Neuroscience even confirms that proximity to nature prevents the onset and worsening of neurological and psychiatric conditions.
Better attention and concentration skills
Thus, spending time "outside" , in the countryside, improves cognitive functions and alleviates psychiatric disorders. Even more incredible: observing a natural space has positive effects on attention and concentration abilities! This is what an Australian study demonstrated by asking students to do an exercise after having observed a concrete space for some, versus a flowery green space in the city for others, for... only 40 seconds! The guinea pigs who looked at the flowers performed significantly better, which demonstrates the positive sensitivity of the brain exposed to nature. This "airy" brain, which sees its area dedicated to cognition and the organization of tasks stimulated, achieves greater creativity. These results make it possible to "naturally" help children suffering from ADHD, the famous Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. These disorders, particularly disabling at school where concentration and immobility are required, are alleviated by sports activities or simple walks in a green space. This also makes it possible to reduce the chemical treatments often administered to treat these disorders.
Facing the sea, a soothing nature
It's not just "green" that has a "well-being" effect on our metabolism: proximity to the sea is also very effective in boosting low morale. Here too, the 5 senses are important: feet in the sand, the sound of the waves and the surf, the feeling of the wind on the face, or salt water on the skin. The sea is definitely an excellent remedy for (almost) everything! But even more, it is its contemplation that provides a profound calming effect. Everything that the body and brain perceive at the seaside would have a more intense effect than that of green spaces! Looking at the blue expanse of the ocean would therefore be at the top of the famous nature experience: a super dose of positive effects on psychological disorders, stress , anxiety, depression, lack of sleep . Disorders that are also less frequent among inhabitants of coastal areas. The same phenomenon occurs when observing an isolated mountain lake, which is more conducive to meditation and serenity than a lake where human activities are carried out. In fact, the more pristine and wild the site, the more beneficial the effects.
Looking to nature to reduce violence
We understand why nature is a great tool to reduce violence in highly urbanized and overpopulated areas. Indeed, if nature reduces stress, irritability, naturally facilitates sleep, it also helps reduce aggressive behavior.
An American study showed some of the prisoners in a high-security prison images of nature several times a week. Following these videos, the researchers noted a decrease in aggression, violent behavior and signs of nervousness among the prisoners for several hours after the session. An observation confirmed by the prison staff who noted, after a year of this experiment, that the prisoners who benefited from images of nature had fewer behavioral problems. So if you are in a foul mood and do not have direct access to nature, watch some videos of flowery fields, forests or mountain waterfalls to calm down!
Diversity and a precious and protective sun
Beyond the positive effects on the mind, living in or near nature allows the body to be exposed to a wide variety of substances that stimulate its natural immunity. Whereas in a hygienic environment where humans are not or are only slightly exposed to microbes, the body more easily develops allergies or inflammatory reactions. Yes, the body is strengthened by contact with nature, provided that biodiversity is significant and the environment is free of pesticides! The loss of biodiversity would also lead, due to a lack of exposure to certain microbes, to an infection of the microbiota, which can lead to the development of diseases, due to the body's lack of knowledge on how to protect itself from them.
Finally, exposure to natural sunlight is the only one that allows the body to synthesize vitamin D thanks to UVB rays. The procedure to follow: expose yourself to the rays for 15 to 30 minutes, twice a week. Vitamin D then plays a preventive role against osteoporosis and bone decalcification but also against the onset of cardiovascular diseases and certain cancers. Finally, the inner peace brought by a sunset or sunrise is no longer to be proven, you just have to experience it!
In the office, long live air-purifying plants!
If you can't escape to a park for your lunch break, you can always surround yourself with plants: their presence doesn't replace a walk in the forest but it does have a calming effect. Studies have even shown that having plants in the workplace reduces the frequency and duration of sick leave! There are even so-called "depolluting" plants to combat illnesses caused by indoor pollution : asthma attacks, allergies, headaches. In fact, indoor air can be up to 10 times more polluted than outdoor air due to pollution but also to emissions from paints, coatings and micro-particles of artificial materials, the famous VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds), which we breathe all the time. Indoor plants are a guarantee of good health. And don't forget that natural materials in decoration, such as wood or minerals, also provide a protective and reassuring feeling.
“Going green” to heal: therapeutic gardens
After an accident or illness, convalescence is faster when it takes place in a natural environment. The simple sight of a natural landscape through the window already has a positive effect. Studies prove that hospitalized patients heal faster if they have a window "with a view", on the outside, on a park for example. Several studies and the advancement of neuroscience have confirmed this data so much that therapeutic gardens are emerging. The beneficial effect of nature also reduces the sensation of pain, the taking of painkillers is reduced and the healing process is accelerated. The benefits of these gardens are such that they are being established in retirement homes for their virtues on neurological degeneration such as Parkinson's or Alzheimer's disease. The "art, memory and life" therapeutic garden at the Nancy University Hospital, which defines itself as "a space with therapeutic aims for people suffering from Alzheimer's disease" has demonstrated its direct action on the disease through improvements in the autonomy of patients, their cognitive abilities, their sleep, a reduction in aggressiveness and agitation.
Sylvotherapy: vibrate with the trees
In the art of recharging one's batteries with nature, the action of touching or "hugging trees" is well known. The proximity of trees lowers the heart rate and stress hormones (cortisol, adrenaline). In short, trees calm us! Mindful walks, in physical contact with trees, bring all the possible benefits: reduced anxiety, better concentration, clear ideas, reduced anger, better mood, reduced signs of depression... According to some studies: "frequenting" forest areas would have an effect on our cells in charge of fighting cancer cells and would therefore strengthen our immunity against the disease. In short, for our health, we should all have a tree at home!
There is no more time to lose to expose yourself to nature or transpose nature into your life! But you still have to be aware of the therapeutic power that such a remedy, free and unlimited, has for our modern ills! It is up to us to listen to what our instinct tells us quietly, to what our body and our head feel when in contact with nature: it does us good! So let's cultivate it, protect it and think about it when things are not going well: a dose of green or blue to feel better!
