Author: Azur Ekić
Most people today, as urbanization keeps growing, spend the majority of their time in the city. This environment and the lifestyle that comes along with it is something new and strange for our organism, considering our evolutionary path and the fact that this was simply not the way we are used to living.
It is not just the constant bombardment with information that is completely unnatural for our brains, it is also the lack of sights, sounds and smells of nature. In addition to who knows how many other things we are lacking due to this isolation from our natural environment.
Instead of relying on intuition or what some define as ‘’common sense’’, let us take a quick glance at what science has to say.
Unsurprisingly, research confirms that spending time in nature offers a wide range of benefits for mental, physical, and social well-being.
Some of the benefits will be listed here, but I encourage the reader to not only research the topic themselves, considering the abundant amount of research that is available on this topic, but also – to try to conduct an experiment themselves. Take a journal, spend some time in nature, observe what is happening within you. Become a scientist yourself! At the end of the day, we learn best from our own personal experience.
That being said, let us take a look at the benefits, as per these sources, respectfully:
1. Mental Health Benefits
Studies show that natural environments can significantly reduce stress, anxiety, and depression, partly by lowering cortisol levels. For example, forest therapy has been associated with reduced levels of stress hormones and improved mood. Interventions in natural settings also tend to decrease anxiety and depression symptoms and enhance emotional well-being, particularly in groups with preexisting mental health conditions.
Sources: American Psychological Association
2. Cognitive and Creative Benefits
– Attention Restoration: Time spent in natural settings has been shown to support directed attention—a key component in tasks requiring focus and executive function. Stenfors et al. (2019) found that individuals exhibited improved performance on demanding cognitive tasks (like the backwards digit span test) following interactions with nature rather than urban environments, which they attribute to the gentle, undemanding stimuli present in natural settings. This aligns with Attention Restoration Theory (ART), which posits that exposure to nature helps replenish cognitive resources required for tasks demanding sustained attention
Sources:
– Perceptual Fluency and Relaxation Effects: Another study led by Gatersleben and Andrews (2013) examined how specific visual qualities of natural environments, such as ‘soft fascination’—a gentle captivation often present in nature—contributes to cognitive relaxation. Their research suggests that scenes with prospect (open visibility) and refuge (safety features like foliage) can provide greater mental restoration by reducing cognitive load, a key factor in enhancing overall working memory and problem-solving abilities
– Low-Level Visual Features and Soundscapes: The distinct visual and auditory qualities of natural settings, including non-straight edges and harmonious soundscapes, may also contribute to cognitive benefits. For example, Van Hedger et al. found that nature sounds boost working memory relative to urban sounds. Additionally, low-level features in natural scenes, such as specific color properties and spatial qualities, may foster a sense of cognitive fluency and mental ease, indirectly supporting cognitive functions through reduced effort in perceptual processing
3. Physical Health Benefits
Being in natural settings benefits physical health, particularly cardiovascular and immune function. Research on “forest bathing” or Shinrin-yoku shows that time spent in forests can lower blood pressure and improve heart rate variability. Additionally, immune system markers, like natural killer (NK) cells, are positively impacted, potentially boosting resilience to illness
4. Social and Community Benefits
Natural environments also foster social connections and community well-being. For example, people who engage in outdoor activities report a greater sense of connection to their communities, and children who spend time in nature often develop pro-environmental attitudes, which can foster socially supportive and eco-friendly behaviors
My conclusion? In short, as people would say…go touch some grass!
