Welcome to our Daily Dose of Nature experience This is a simple experiment I’ve ventured on this month, and I’m loving the fact that so many of you have joined in with me. Every day, for the month of October I’ve been getting outside and connecting with nature. From short 10 minute wanders around the garden with a coffee to long hikes in the hills, I’m making getting outside a priority.
I was inspired to embark on this experiment after learning about the Slow Your Home experiment last year, where a family challenged themselves to spend one hour a day in nature. Brooke, the author of the blog and podcast talks about how connecting with nature really improved her well being.
As someone who suffers from depression, anxiety and S.A.D (Seasonal Affective Disorder) I had to give this experiment a go. And October, with it’s darker nights and blustery weather seemed like the perfect month.
I’ve known for ages that being outdoors is so good for me, but the Slow Your Home podcasts encouraged me to investigate a little but more into the science behind why nature is so potent- and the results are inspiring.
Why? The benefits are endless.
There is so much research into how spending time in nature can alter our mental, emotional and physical well being. From improving our creativity, to reducing depression, getting outdoors has a huge positive effect on how we function in our day to day lives. I’ve included a selection of relevant findings, focusing more on how nature can improve our mental health and help with feelings of depression and anxiety.
Scientists are now discovering that time in nature not only improves our well being, but getting outdoors can actually change our brain make up. Often when we think of spending time in nature we maybe feel like we need to ‘get out the city’ and into the great outdoors to truly reap the benefits. But, the research is showing that this simply isn’t the case. Just getting out into a green space and connecting with nature seems to be effective. Research has even suggested that simply looking at nature scenes through a window can have a profound effect.
Edinburgh is full of green spaces. So head out, into your local urban park or woodland area and reap the benefits.
Improves Stress
Shinrin-yoku is a Japanese act of mindfully spending time among the trees. Forest Bathing is fast becoming a popular past time and is something we can all easily do for free. Whilst taking a meander through the woods, get your senses involved. Smell, taste, touch, sight, hear. Immerse yourself in mother nature and the present moment. Research has suggested that the smells secreted from trees support this experience when Forest Bathing and I recently read that even diffusing woody, pure, essential oils can help.
Research has shown that those who walked in forests had significantly lower heart rates and higher heart rate variability (indicating more relaxation and less stress), and reported better moods and less anxiety, than those who walked in urban settings.
Makes you Happier
There is an abundance of research highlighting the link between nature and happiness. Research has suggested that people living closer to green spaces reported less mental distress. Furthermore, the studies have shown that even spending a short while in nature can reap such great benefits. One study revealed how after a 15 minute walk through the woods participants ‘showed an overall 16% decrease in cortisol, a 2% drop in blood pressure, and a 4% drop in heart rate.’ So often we think we need to be living rurally, or be out in the wilderness for long periods of time to really benefit from nature. And yes, as much as I love a full day hike or weekend camp, this isn’t the reality for many. So, knowing that just 10 minutes in your garden bird watching or strolling along the prom can improve your mood is so empowering.
Makes You Feel More ALIVE- AWE STRUCK
That skin tingling, hairs on end, jaw-dropping ‘WOW’ feeling you get when you watch a magnificent sunset, stargaze or stare out to the wild, wide open ocean? That’s awe. The sense of wonder that we feel when we are witnessing something vast, something that transcends our understanding of the world. Awe has the power to make us feel more connected, curious and creative.
Scientists say it gives us a sense that we are part of something bigger, a connection to nature and perhaps beyond. The research suggests that although awe can be fleeting and difficult to describe it serves a purpose for humans. It can switch out focus from the individual self, to something much larger. We no longer feel at the centre of it all, instead we feel connected to something bigger, something outwith our control. Awe is said to make us feel happier, more connected and more creative.
Furthermore, the research in awe, as with the research into the effects of spending time in nature, has shown it doesn’t always have to be magnificent, dramatic life altering events like visiting the Grand Canyon or witnessing the Northern Lights. Awe can be found among the everyday. Wondering at the marvel of a beautiful flower, at a grand old oak tree that grew from a single acorn or by staring off into the night sky can all be ways of inducing awe.
Awe, in my experience, is one of the most potent, powerful benefits of spending time outside in nature. When I’m in awe at the natural world, it invokes a sense of peace in me. It makes me feel calm, grateful and most importantly, it makes me feel ALIVE.
My aim with this blog and sharing my experiment online is to inspire you to get outside more and connect with nature. We are a part of nature and we need it, not solely to survive, but to thrive as human beings. As Florence William says “Without this knowledge, we may not ever fully honor our deep, cranial connection to natural landscapes.”
Here are a few of my favourite, simple ways to connect more with nature:
I love taking my morning coffee with me to either wander round the garden or sit on the door step. On a rainy/cold day I’ll sit by the window and watch.
For my Birthday last year I got a bird feeder that sticks on my window. I LOVE watching the birds come to feed, so far we’ve had bluetits, coal tits, wagtails, robins and magpies.
When my head feels full or overwhelmed I take a gentle stroll through my nearby green space. It doesn’t need to be out in the wilderness, just some where in nature- an urban park will do too.
Whilst strolling, I try to engage in all five senses- smell, touch, sight, sound and taste. I’m slowly learning to identify birdsong too.
Watching the sunrise and the sunset are probably my favourite things to do in life. They give me that awe struck feeling and I love it.
We love stargazing on a clear night, searching out constellations.
Earthing- barefoot or bare hands. I often just take my shoes and socks of and FEEL myself ground into the earth.
Paddle in the sea or river, again barefoot. I love the feel of running water rushing over me. Maybe you even wild swim?
Garden regularly. I connect with what’s happening with the seasons and cycles of nature And bonus, we get to eat what we grow.
Be as mindful as you can when outdoors, soak up all the benefits you can.
References
The Nature Fix, Florence Williams
This is Your Brain on Nature, National Geographic. Florence Williams, 2016
Ecopsychology: How Immersion in Nature Benefits Your Health.Robbins, J. 2020
How to Reclaim Peace and Quiet in a Noisy World. Florence Williams, 2017
Interacting with Nature Improves Cognition and Affect for Individuals with Depression Berman, M.G; Kross, E; Krpan, M; Askren, M.K; Burson, A; Deldin, P.J; Kaplan, S; Sherdell, L; Gotlib, I.H; Jonides, J. 2012.
Spending atleast 120 minutes a week in nature is associated with good health and wellbeing. White, MP; Alcock, I; Grellier, J; Wheeler, B.W; Hartig, T; Warder, S.L; Bone, A. Depledge, M.H; Fleming, L.E. 2019
Does Participating in Physical Activity in Outdoor Natural Environments Have a Greater Effect on Physical and Mental Wellbeing that Physical Activity Indoors? A Systemic Review. Thompson Coon, J; Boddy, K; Stein, K; Wheart, R; Barton, J; Depledge, M.H. 2011
The Power of Awe Berger, C. 2015.