Nature helps us reduce stress
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/articles/200107/natures-path-inner-peace
People, who live near trees, feel happier with where they live and better adjusted to their environment than those with no trees growing nearby.
http://www.exploringroots.org/blog/2017/5/25/the-relationship-between-humans-nature-and-health-what-the-research-tell-us
Research shows that connection with nature results in decreased stress and anger.
is easy to get to, is clean, has good lighting, has quiet zones, has exercise zones
has possibilities / events to chat with others,
Adapted from
http://time.com/4881665/green-spaces-nature-happiness/
People will feel a sense of wellbeing if a green space
Amygdala activity decreases as the result of a 1-hour walk in nature, whereas amygdala activity remains stable after the walk in an urban environment.
Amygdala is the integrative center for emotions, emotional behavior, and motivation.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41380-022-01720-6
https://newsroom.unsw.edu.au/news/health/nature-prescriptions-can-improve-physical-and-mental-health-study
Contact with nature reduces harms such as poor air quality, heat waves, and chronic stress.
Advantage # 2
Nature helps us concentrate better
Children with ADHD have significantly better concentration after a walk in a park than in an urban setting.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090217092758.htm
Advantage # 3
Nature helps us increase self esteem
Children, who are exposed to the natural world, show increases in self-esteem.
http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20160420-how-nature-is-good-for-our-health-and-happiness
Examples:
The strength of the mountains.
The resilience of trees.
The cheerfulness of flowers.
https://youtu.be/dFb7Hxva5rg
Each part of nature can remind us of a quality that we should cultivate in ourselves.
Advantage # 4 Nature helps us become more satisfied
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5451986/
People, who think of their local green spaces as more accessible and usable, feel more satisfied with their neighbourhood.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0272494421000943
And daylight exposure has been related to improvements in mood for people with depression.
Being in nature goes hand in hand with exposure to daylight.
Advantage # 5 Nature helps us live longer
Contact with nature encourages healthy behaviors such as socializing and physical activity.
https://newsroom.unsw.edu.au/news/health/nature-prescriptions-can-improve-physical-and-mental-health-study
Research shows that elderly Japanese adults live longer when their homes are within walking distance of a park or other green space.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090217092758.htm
Advantage # 6 Less ego
https://chat.openai.com/chat
In nature, everything is connected to everything else and dependent on one another.
https://qz.com/1048433/technology-is-changing-our-relationship-with-nature-as-we-know-it/
Interacting with nature teaches us to live in relation with the other - not in domination over the other. For example, you don’t control the birds flying over your head.
Nature makes no judgments. Humans do.
Page 105
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3375323664
https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6418152056330158080
Nature is a reminder to quiet our collective ego which pales in comparison.
Questions for you
3 questions for you:
1. When was the last time you spent time in nature?
2. What did you do there?
3. How did you feel being in nature?