Health Benefits of Nature
How Nature Heals Us
Nature is a self-healing being. When we learn to remember that we are a part of nature and reintegrate our lives into the natural environment, we are healthier and happier. Science can now explain ho nature heals us.
Perhaps we are disconnected from our own nature of empathy because we have become disconnected from nature. The majority of western civilization lives in artificial environments. A growing body of research points to the beneficial effects that exposure to the natural world has on health, reducing stress and promoting healing. Now, policymakers, employers, and healthcare providers are increasingly considering the human need for nature.
In a study of 20,000 people48, a team led by Mathew White of the European Centre for Environment & Human Health at the University of Exeter, found that people who spent two hours a week in green spaces — local parks or other natural environments, either all at once or spaced over several visits — were substantially more likely to report good health and psychological well-being than those who don’t. Two hours was a hard boundary: The study, published last June, showed there were no benefits for people who didn’t meet that threshold.
“It’s well-known that getting outdoors in nature can be good for people’s health and well-being, but until now we’ve not been able to say how much is enough,” White says. “Two hours a week is hopefully a realistic target for many people, especially given that it can be spread over an entire week to get the benefit.49”
These studies have shown that time in nature — as long as people feel safe — is an antidote for stress: It can lower blood pressure and stress hormone levels, reduce nervous system arousal, enhance immune system function, increase self-esteem, reduce anxiety, and improve mood. Attention Deficit Disorder and aggression lessen in natural environments, which also help speed the rate of healing. In a recent study, psychiatric unit researchers found that being in nature reduced feelings of isolation, promoted calm, and lifted mood among patients50.
The organization Children & Nature Network, founded by Louv and others, advocates for more time in nature for children, tracks the research, and has a long list of abstracts that summarize studies on the subject on its website.
The number of “forest schools” — which have long been a tradition in Scandinavia and where much of the learning takes place in natural settings in the outdoors — has mushroomed in the United States, up by 500 percent since 2012, according to Louv. Oregon recently passed a ballot measure to raise money for outdoor schools, and the state of Washington just became the first state to license outdoor preschools, where much of the play and learning occurs outside.
The western world is rediscovering through science our lost roots to our true nature, our inner reality, to nature and to relationships with life itself. Especially our relationships with our inner lives. Now science is posed to help us understand that spirituality is also part of nature because we are nature.
The healing benefits of nature has gained increased attention in recent years, as more people are recognizing the importance of taking a holistic approach to health and wellness. By incorporating nature into our daily lives, we can enhance our physical health, reduce stress and anxiety, and improve our overall quality of life.
Natural healing is the concept of using natural surroundings and activities to promote physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing. This approach to healing recognizes the importance of the environment in which we live, and the potential benefits of connecting with nature. Whether it's taking a walk in the park, going on a hike, or simply sitting outside and enjoying the fresh air, spending time in nature can have a powerful impact on our health and wellbeing.
Forests Boost Children's Immune Systems
Playing through the greenery and litter of a mini forest's undergrowth for just one month changed a child's immune system, according to an experiment in Finland.
When daycare workers rolled out a lawn, planted forest undergrowth (such as dwarf heather and blueberries), and allowed children to care for crops in planter boxes, the diversity of microbes in the guts and on the skin of young kids appeared healthier in a very short space of time. Compared to other city kids who play in standard urban daycares with yards of pavement, tile and gravel, 3-, 4-, and 5-year-olds at these greened-up daycare centers in Finland showed increased T-cells and other important immune markers in their blood within 28 days.
"We also found that the intestinal microbiota of children who received greenery was similar to the intestinal microbiota of children visiting the forest every day," explained environmental scientist Marja Roslund from the University of Helsinki in 2020, when the research was published.
Prior research has shown early exposure to green space is somehow linked to a well-functioning immune system, but it's still not clear whether that relationship is causal or not.
Plants Improve Concentration and Memory
Being around plants helps people concentrate better in the home and workplace. Studies show that tasks performed while under the calming influence of nature are performed better and with greater accuracy, yielding a higher quality result. Moreover, being outside in a natural environment can improve memory performance and attention span by twenty percent.
Keeping ornamental plants in the home and in the workplace increases memory retention and concentration. The calming influence of natural environments is conducive to positive work environments by increasing a person’s ability to concentrate on the task at hand. Work performed under the natural influence of ornamental plants is normally of higher quality and completed with a much higher accuracy rate than work done in environments devoid of nature. Going outside or being under the influence of plants can increase memory retention up to twenty percent, a recent University of Michigan study showed (Sewach). The effect of nature in the home and in the workplace serves to stimulate both the senses and the mind, improving mental cognition and performance.
(Bisco Werner 1996; Brethour 2007; Frank 2003; Pohmer 2008; Serwach 2008; Shibata, 2001, 2004; Yannick 2009)
Flowers Create Happiness.
Having flowers around the home and office greatly improves people’s moods and reduces the likelihood of stress-related depression. Flowers and ornamental plants increase levels of positive energy and help people feel secure and relaxed.
Keeping flowers around the home and in the workplace greatly reduces a person’s stress levels. Natural aesthetic beauty is soothing to people, and keeping ornamental flowers around the home environment is an excellent way to lower levels of stress and anxiety. People who keep flowers in their home feel happier, less stressed, and more relaxed. As a result of the positive energy they derive from the environment, the chances of suffering from stress-related depression are decreased as well. Overall, adding flowers to your home or work environment reduces your perceived stress levels and makes you feel more relaxed, secure, and happy. Flowers can help you achieve a more optimistic outlook on your life, bringing you both pleasing visual stimulation and helping you to increase your perceived happiness.
(Brethour 2007, Collins 2008, Dunnet 2000, Etcoff 2007, Frank 2003, Haviland-Jones 2005, Hartig 2010, McFarland 2010, Rappe 2005, Waliczek 2000)
Interior Landscaping can be Therapeutic
Therapeutic landscapes are outdoor spaces that are intentionally designed to promote healing and enhance wellbeing. These spaces are typically found in healthcare facilities and are designed to provide patients with access to nature, fresh air, and sunlight, all of which have been shown to have positive impacts on health and wellbeing.
Research has shown that exposure to natural surroundings can reduce stress and anxiety levels, lower blood pressure, and boost the immune system, among other benefits. Additionally, there is growing evidence to support the use of plants in hospital settings, as they can help to improve air quality and create a more pleasant and calming environment for patients. For example, one study found that patients in hospital rooms with plants reported lower levels of stress and anxiety, and required less pain medication compared to patients in rooms without plants (Park & Mattson, 2009). Another study found that indoor plants can help to reduce levels of airborne pathogens, which can help to prevent the spread of infections in hospitals (Kapoor & Singh, 2019). Overall, the use of therapeutic landscapes and plants in hospital settings can help to improve patient outcomes and enhance the healing process.
Health Benefits of Plants In Hospitals
Hospital administrators are starting to emerge from their long lasting comas to finally enact much needed change in the design of their facilities. Healthcare management is understanding more and more that there are notable health and wellness benefits to well-designed natural landscapes-interior and exterior-that seriously impact clinical outcomes.
Employee morale, as well as patient satisfaction and visitor’s positive impressions are considerably enhanced by the inclusion of plants in hospitals. Facilities can even impact their bottom line with our green friends as patients and visitors will view the buildings in a more positive light when interior plants are present.
Professor Roger S. Ulrich, Ph.D., at Texas A & M University College of Architecture and Medicine has conducted studies on gardens located in hospitals and their healthy impact on sick patients. His findings, like those of many others, over the past 20+ years, is now being utilized by hospital architects as well as hospital administrators throughout the United States, to change the way that new healthcare facilities are being designed.
Plants are Natural Filtration Systems
Plants naturally filter the air of harmful chemicals and other toxins. Plants in hospitals can also combat SBS (sick building syndrome), boost humidity levels which decrease cough-inducing dry air.
Rooms filled with plants were shown to have 50%-60% fewer molds and bacteria in the air than in rooms devoid of plants. Indoor plants also offer taxed hospital employees a soothing and beautiful escape; the mere presence of plants conjures up the healing power of nature which can only help to boost the morale.
Experiments conducted by Virginia Lohr and others at Washington State University show that levels of dust and other particulates can be reduced by as much as 20% with the introduction of foliage plants. Attractive foliage plants, in hospitals, are a wonderful addition that helps to create a warmer environment. After all, nobody wants to endure a lifeless and plant-free environment while confined to a hospital bed.
Plants Accelerate the Healing Process
The presence of plants in hospital recovery rooms and/or views of aesthetically-pleasing gardens help patients to heal faster, due to the soothing affects of ornamental horticulture.
Shrubs, trees, and flowers have a practical application in hospitals: the presence of plants in patient recovery rooms greatly reduces the time necessary to heal. The soothing effects of ornamental flowers and plants are so great that simply having daily views of flowers and other ornamental plants in landscaped areas outside patient recovery room significantly speed up recovery time. Another technique to decrease recovery time is horticulture therapy, where patients care for and nurture plants themselves. Patients who physically interact with plants experience a significantly reduced recovery time after medical procedures. (Brethour 2007, Frank 2003, Friend 2008, Lohr 2000, Park, 2009, Pennsylvania Landscape and Nursery Assn. 2009, Ulrich 1984)
[Therapeutic Influences of Plants in Hospital Rooms on Surgical Recovery](https://journals.ashs.org/hortsci/view/journals/hortsci/44/1/article-p102.xml#:~:text=Patients in hospital rooms with,patients in the control group.)
Health Benefits of Plants In Hospitals
The Healing Power of Forest Bathing
Spending time in natural environments makes people better at doing their jobs. It also increases energy levels and feelings of vitality.
Spending time in nature gives people an increased feeling of vitality, increasing their energy levels and making them feel more animated. Their performance levels are, in turn, increased by this improved state of mind. Natural environments induce a positive outlook on life, making people feel more alive and active. When people experience increased vigor, they put more of themselves and their energy into their work. Plants can help people to improve their performance at work and at home by increasing their perceived vitality and giving them more feelings of added energy. (Bernstein 2009, Brethour 2007, Bringslimark 2007, Dravigne 2008, Etcoff 2007, Kaplan 1995, Kuo 2001a, Pennsylvania Landscape and Nursery Assn. 2009, Rappe 2005, Shoemaker 1992, Univ. of Rochester 2010)
Gardening Improves Relationships/Compassion.
Research shows that people who spend extended lengths of time around plants tend to have better relationships with others. This is due to measurable increases in feelings of compassion; another effect of exposure to ornamental plants.
Ornamental plants affect the levels of compassion that people feel for others. Studies have shown that people who spend more time around plants are much more likely to try and help others, and often have more advanced social relationships. People who care for nature are more likely to care for others, reaching out to their peers and forming shared bonds resulting from their common interests. Extended exposure to nature and wildlife increases people’s compassion for each other as it increases people’s compassion for the environment in which they live. In short, being around plants can help to improve relationships between people and increase their concern and empathy toward others. (Brethour 2007, Etcoff 2007, Frank 2003, Hagen 2009, Haviland-Jones 2005, Pohmer 2008, Rappe 2005)
Plants Help Kids Learn Better
Research shows that children who spend time around plants learn better. In addition, being around natural environments improves the ability of children with Attention Deficit Disorder to focus, concentrate, and engage more with their surrounding environment.
Keeping plants in a child’s learning environment enhances learning capabilities by helping them to focus and concentrate. This improves their ability to learn new things and makes it easier for them to absorb and retain information. Ornamental plants are conducive to generating a positive learning environment, reducing children’s tendency towards distraction and helping them to be better able concentrate on school work. Specifically for children with problems paying attention, adding plants to the classroom can have a dramatic positive effect on the way they learn. For example, children with Attention Deficit Disorder, learning in a natural environment can help them to engage more in the classroom, improving their focus and concentration on the task at hand. The soothing effects of natural aesthetic beauty help to minimize the distractions that would otherwise occupy their minds. By altering the environment in which children learn, plants can help them to learn better. (Faber Taylor 2001a, Frank 2003, Kellert 2002, Kuo 2004, Lieberman 1998)
Gardening Reduces Stress
Studies show that people who spend time cultivating plants have less stress in their lives. Plants soothe human beings and provide a positive way for people to channel their stress into nurturing.
Participation in gardening and landscaping activities is an effective way to reduce levels of stress. Studies have shown that people who nurture plants and garden have less mental distress than others. Gardening provides people with a positive way to channel their stress and frustration into something beautiful that provides them with comfort and joy. Part of the effects of gardening come from the satisfaction people get from nurturing and helping a living thing grow. Plants and gardening soothe people because they help them turn their stressful feelings into something positive which gives them pleasure. By helping them transform their stress into a more positive emotion, gardening also gives people an excellent coping mechanism for their daily frustrations. Nurturing plants reduces stress levels and gives people a way to cope with their negative feelings. (Mitchell, 2008, Brethour 2007, Bringslimark 2007, Frank 2003, Kohlleppel 2002, McFarland 2010, Pohmer 2008, Ulrich 1991, Waliczek 2000)
Gardening can act as therapy for people who have undergone trauma. The act of nurturing something is a way for people to work through the issues surrounding traumatic events and improve their mental health.
Gardening can have therapeutic effects on people who have undergone trauma, either mental or physical. The act of nurturing a plant can provide victims with a way to work through their issues and heal their wounds, whether they are on the surface of the skin or deeper. Cultivating plants also improves their mental states and helps to put them in a better place for recovering. Gardening is a therapeutic tool that can be used to help put people in a better psychological state during recovery and help them to work past the mental barriers that could impede their healing. (Aldous 2000, Barnicle 2003, Brethour 2007, Collins 2008, Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens 2009, Pohmer 2008, Rappe 2005, Stoneham 1995)
Plants Improve Traffic Safety
Beautifying road ways can have the dual effect of increasing driver satisfaction with the roadside landscape and creating a natural median. Drivers are much less likely to accidentally drive over a median if there is a landscaped area between oncoming lanes of traffic.
Beautifying traffic medians not only improves the aesthetics of the roadways, it also affects driver attitudes. Studies show that drivers are more at ease on roadways with natural landscaping, and are much more inclined to think positively about the community that they are driving through if the roadways are beautiful. Furthermore, adding trees to roadways creates a sort of natural obstruction which could reduce the likelihood of cars crossing medians into oncoming traffic lanes. This improves driver safety and makes the community a safer place for everyone to live in. Landscaped areas between oncoming lanes of traffic could decrease the number of accidents occurring due to drivers crossing the median and make the road a safer place. (Wolf, 2001b, 2001c, 2006)
Science of Earthing
Did you know walking barefoot on the earth is good for your health? The science of earthing Earthing, also known as grounding, is the practice of connecting with the Earth's electrical energy by walking barefoot on grass, sand, or soil, or by using grounding mats or sheets indoors.
The science behind earthing is based on the idea that the Earth's surface is negatively charged, while the human body can carry a positive charge due to exposure to electromagnetic radiation from various sources, such as electronic devices. The theory is that by connecting with the Earth's electrical energy, the body can absorb negative electrons, which can help to neutralize positive charges and reduce inflammation in the body.
Research on the benefits of earthing is still in its early stages, but some studies have shown promising results. For example, one study found that grounding can reduce chronic pain and improve sleep quality in participants with fibromyalgia (Chevalier, et al., 2013). Another study found that earthing can improve heart rate variability, which is an indicator of cardiovascular health (Ghaly & Teplitz, 2004). Additionally, some research has suggested that earthing can help to reduce inflammation and oxidative stress in the body, which are associated with a range of health conditions (Oschman, et al., 2015).
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