The Beacon Online: Nature and Health Benefits

Does spending time in nature provide health benefits?

Just recently, my smartphone malfunctioned. In this modern day and age, the effects of such a simple event have been catastrophic to my social life. I have been out of touch with many of my friends, and have rediscovered the hobby of staring blankly at the wall. It is interesting to note the effects of technology on us all. Often, we are content to busy away our lives in front of a tiny screen, and deprive ourselves of spending time outside. Why would we want to bother, in fact, to leave the comfort of our rooms and our iPads for the dangerous, sweaty, bug-infested world outside anyway?

"It's just you and me, babe"

"Or maybe not."

Well, there’s more to the outdoors than meets the eye. Spending time in nature is actually beneficial to health! And no, it’s not just because the only time you spend outside is when you’re exercising. (Wait, I forgot. There are gyms for that.) It’s no surprise that being in nature causes you to de-stress. One study showed that blood pressure, muscle tension, and skin conductance, which are all measures of stress, were greatly reduced when participants were showed a video of nature compared to urban videos. This is a great excuse to turn on YouTube the next time you’re stressing over that last-minute assignment. Just be sure to pull yourself away from nigahiga and perhaps watch a serene waterfall video instead. Feeling depressed? Have no fear, nature is also the cure! Various studies have linked nature with better self–esteem, social satisfaction, positive feelings and decreased loneliness. In fact, nature deprivation makes you feel negative all the time. Could this possibly be related to the high suicide rates this modern urban-living era has seen?

The solution: an urban waterfall

Another experiment showed that walking in a tree-lined area for 50 minutes improved memory and attention by 20% compared to an urban setting. While this has important implications for choosing the best places to study, it is greater news for patients with Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD). Researches showed they displayed tremendous improvements in concentration, self-discipline and the ability to delay gratification just by having more time in nature.

Or they could walk on the tree instead

The physical benefits of nature are abundant too. TCSH may want to consider installing more windows as, in two separate studies, a window-view of nature was found to increase recovery (patients at a hospital) and reduce sick calls (among prisoners). While the increased air quality of natural environments would obviously improve respiratory health, a little known fact is that the stress-reducing quality of natural environments also reduces risk of stress-related diseases such as obesity, cardiovascular health, headaches, arthritis, fatigue, and allergies. Certain chemicals in plants called phytoncides also have been proven to enhance natural killer cell activity. In layman’s terms, spending time with plants could stop cancer.

Solitary confinement isn't so bad after all

If you’ve ever been to a spiritual retreat (or you’re like me and you frequent church camps), you would notice the venue tends to be located in some remote jungle area or other natural setting. Once, I was fortunate enough to attend one located at the beach! It was easy to feel the presence of a higher power in the midst of the sounds of crashing waves, the cool breeze dancing on your skin and the rainbow coloured sunset. People who attended wilderness therapy also reported finding deeper meaning in life and altered relationships with the natural world.

Philosophical awakening achieved

All in all, in mental, physical and spiritual ways, nature has proven to be a strong contender to drugs and exercise in improving the quality of our health. Even though insects, mud and our vanity issues (indeed, you may get tanned) are reasonable fears for stepping outside, the benefits are certainly something to consider. After all, it is difficult to enjoy our smartphones, televisions, laptops and tablets when we’re using it from a hospital bed. Cheers!