I was listening to a podcast while running this morning that focused in part on the benefits of being in nature. As a society we have lost touch with our natural surroundings over time. We often crave what we perceive as comfort in having a solid roof over our heads, heated or air conditioned spaces, electricity, technology, reliable enclosed transport, etc. It would be easy to presume that both our physical and mental health benefits from having easy access to these comforts, but do they really?
In recent years scientific studies have shown that there is a bacteria in soil (M. vaccae) that stimulates brain cells to produce the “feel-good” chemical serotonin. The scent of petrichor, which is often smelled in the air prior to or immediately after a good rain storm, and sometimes associated with the “wet earth” smell, has a similar effect on the human brain. We joke that many of us may be healthier today because we ate dirt as children, but it may be that it’s no joke as some of that bacteria we likely ingested helped boost our immune systems in the long run. Couple that with just the basic fact that trees produce oxygen, soil contains large amounts of nitrogen, and it’s not a huge leap to assume we just breathe easier when we are out in nature, both literally and figuratively.
As for mental health, there are also studies that suggest where people have access to green spaces, even in urban environments, their stress levels are lowered. That same M. vaccae mentioned above has an anti-inflammatory effect on the brain and brain inflammation has been linked to PTSD, anxiety, and depression.
Whether the science supports the benefits of nature or not, I know personally that I just feel better after a jaunt in the woods, or an outing to the beach, or a hike in the mountains. When my husband and I chose our current house three years ago, we picked it largely because it had a large yard with abundant trees, and backed up to a conservation area with more trees and a variety of wildlife. I regularly run in local preserves and forests, and often take along my two labrador retrievers. Watching them romp around exploring rarely ceases to improve my mood. And while the pure stress relief is enough of a mental benefit, being out on the trails is mentally stimulating as well. Reading maps and markers and successfully finding points of interest like springs, creeks, rivers, waterfalls, and more, engages my mind and helps me feel more confident. I’ve even recently taken new activities this past year due to my love of the outdoors: kayaking and surfing.
Which brings me to my last anecdotal benefit: nature helps you stay young. Physically I may feel my age on some of my adventures, but mentally it brings me right back to my childhood traipsing through the Connecticut woods. As a kid I was rarely inside regardless of weather conditions. If it was summer my friends and I were hiking down to the local lake and catching pollywogs. If it was winter we were recklessly sledding those same paths. We rode bikes and played kickball. We swam or waded in lakes and streams. When things were wonky or rough indoors with my parents, the outdoors were my escape and my safe place. When I feel the stressors of life as an adult, I return to this childhood certainty. Nature is my happy place.
Girl with Dog 