Back to nature

Did you know, nature can be advantageous for our emotional health and well-being? For example, when healthy adults view nature scenes rich in vegetation, areas of the brain associated with emotional stability, empathy, and love are more active. These same pathways are activated when a person looks at pictures of a loved one … These findings support previous investigations showing that nature scenes can enhance brain-wave activity in ways that are similar to the benefits of meditation.” According to the biophilia hypothesis, attempts to explain the associations between increased rates of mental illness among individuals who live in cities. People who live in or close to natural settings have better mental health. A longitudinal study from over 5,000 households, found that over a five-year period, individuals who had moved to greener areas displayed improved mental well-being for at least a three-year period. In fact, those who had moved to cities reported a decline in their mental well-being, But you don’t have to pack up and move to the countryside to experience some of nature’s benefits — you could just take a long walk in nature.  Learn more