The Healing Power of Nature | Meet Dr. Melissa Lem, The Doctor Who Prescribes Nature

Many are familiar with the age-old wisdom that emphasizes the positive impact of nature on one’s well-being. Those who have immersed themselves in the tranquility of forests, mountains, oceanfronts, or other natural settings can attest to the profound sense of wellness they impart.Beyond the intuitive understanding that nature feels good, there is actually also an extensive amount of research spanning over a decade that substantiates the remarkable impact it has on both our physical and mental health.To delve in-depth into this topic, I invited, as a guest of our show, Dr. Melissa Lem—a family physician who is an internationally recognized proponent of nature and health, and who is also the Director of PaRx. An initiative of the BC Parks Foundation, PaRx is driven by healthcare professionals who want to improve patients’ health by connecting them to nature.Show notes for this episode with all the resources mentioned can be found here: https://theipsproject.com/2024/02/dr-melissa-lem/_______📚The IPS Academy📚If you feel that you’ve gained some insights and lessons from this video, and you are curious to see what else we offer at The IPS Project, check out The IPS Academy, where we offer online courses taught by guests on The IPS Podcast.Learn more about essential life topics, such as mental health, relationships, the mind, and the body and the brain, through fun and interactive courses. Simply go to https://theipsproject.com/academy.Each course has a few lessons to try for free, so you get a taste of what the course is like. We have countless reviews from other students so you can see what others think, and there is a 30-day money-back guarantee if you end up not liking the course.Again, check them out at ⁠https://theipsproject.com/academy⁠._______🕒Timestamps🕒Intro 0:00 - 02:57Back to basics: why prescribe nature? 02:58 - 05:07Dr. Lem’s childhood hero: Dr. Suzuki 05:08 - 10:37The PaRx project 10:38 - 16:38Who benefits from a nature prescription? 16:39 - 18:21The science behind it all 18:22 - 22:30The healing power of nature 22:31 - 25:17How much nature time we need to reap the benefits 25:18 - 30:08The IPS Academy 30:09 - 31:25How much nature is enough? 31:26 - 34:00Nature time reduces loneliness 34:01 - 35:01The 3/3300 rule: more nature for everyone 35:02 - 35:55Bringing nature indoors 35:56 - 38:49Getting the most out of your nature time 38:50 - 41:55Measuring the effectiveness of nature 41:56 - 44:22The upwards trend of nature prescription 44:23 - 47:15Exciting upcoming research and projects 47:16 - 49:14The future of nature prescriptions 49:15 - 51:39Final question 51:40 - 55:00Outro 55:01 - 57:13