
Imagine you’re walking down a path through a leafy forest on a sunny spring day. Imagine how your five senses are experiencing where you are and what you’re doing. Now imagine how your brain might be affected—feeling happier and less stressed, right?
Compare that situation to what you might experience walking in a bustling downtown. You’re on alert because there is a lot of traffic around you. You feel annoyed by the car alarm going off down the street. Your brain might be focused on where you are going and what you have to do once you get there, causing an increase in stress.
These two vignettes are actually the basis for a research study. In 2015, Stanford reported on the results of a study they conducted looking at how the brain was affected by walking through nature versus walking through an urban environment for 90 minutes.
What they found is remarkable—the participants who walked in nature showed a decrease of activity in the part of the brain that is linked to depression. This area in our mind, in particular, has to do with ruminating on negative thoughts. As a clinician, I can tell you one hallmark of depression is when the individual spends a lot of time dwelling on sad thoughts. Of course, this causes the depression to persist. Talking a walk outside could be a simple answer to helping individuals feel less depressed.
You don’t have to hike up a mountain to get a mood adjustment. Simply exposing yourself to sunlight causes your body to produce vitamin D. In recent years doctors have been paying more attention to their patients’ vitamin D levels. Not only does the vitamin improve physical health, but a deficiency can contribute to depression. Many doctors now perform simple blood tests to determine vitamin D levels.
Increasing your vitamin D levels can be as simple as going outside to your own yard on sunny days and exposing your arms and legs for 10-15 minutes. Doctors are also recommending supplements, but be sure to ask your physician before you start one.
How else can nature benefit you if you don’t have any problems with depression? Taking the time to go outdoors can also help you manage stress. Lydia Martin, director of education for the Lancaster County Conservancy, says, “For me it’s a de-stresser. You get distracted in nature and it’s a good distraction.”
Being out in nature can be an exercise in mindfulness. The concept of mindfulness is simply that we focus our attention on the here and now rather than on the past, the future, or other worries. “I see a bald eagle flying over the Pequea and I forget all about the pressures of the day,” Martin describes.
Here’s one quick exercise you can try to practice mindfulness the next time you are outside—think about how your five senses are experiencing your environment. Pick up a leaf, take a deep breath, look for a butterfly and feel the sun on your skin. Martin explains, “The beauty of nature is that you can use all of your senses to experience it.”
Getting outside often goes hand-in-hand with getting some type of exercise. Of course, exercise is great for our physical health, and it also releases endorphins, those “feel good” chemicals in our brains that lift our mood. A study from the University of Essex in England found that if participants exercised while in nature it had a positive effect on their mood and self-esteem after just five minutes. That’s it. It appeared that exercising in nature had more of a benefit than exercising indoors.
Martin says she often sees the positive effect of exercising in nature when working with the Boy Scouts. They work in the preserves, picking up fallen logs, cleaning up trails and doing other maintenance related tasks. “I often see the boys feeling proud of their accomplishments when they are done,” she says. Having a sense of accomplishment is one of the key factors in building one’s self-esteem.
Not interested in exercise? Spending time in nature can also be a way of improving your social life. Martin noted the Lancaster County Conservancy has 44 nature preserves, and many of them offer activities besides hiking, such as fishing, hunting and picnicking. “Nature is there for all of us,” Martin says. You can meet up with a friend and go for a stroll or sit beside the river enjoying the view. Having strong social relationships is one of the keys to happiness, according to research.
This spring, make an effort to get outside, whether it is for exercise, to meet up with a friend, to breathe some fresh air, or to practice mindfulness. Research shows that being in nature has many benefits to our mental health. Even if you only have five minutes, spending time outdoors can ward off depression and improve your self-esteem.