How Nature Can Help You heal
Nature is a part of every one of us we are not separate from it so it’s no surprise that being in nature can help you heal.
In more recent years there has been an increase in the number of studies done in relation to mental health and spending time in nature.
One study monitored and recorded the effects of gardening on psychiatric patients, the result found that gardening improved their mood, and provided calm and a sense of belonging.
Ecotherapy
What is Eco Therapy?
Eco therapy is the practice of utilising the great outdoors and connecting with nature to promote health and wellbeing. Nature has many ways of healing and offering respite, Eco therapy can involve a number of different methods, activities and practices.
What are the benefits of Eco Therapy?
The term Eco Therapy is very broad and can include, walks in nature, spending time with animals or gardening. Each practice and activity has it’s own list of benefits but they are all focused around being in nature, feeling connected and embracing the calm, mindfulness of being present.
Below are some of the ways in which Nature can help you heal and Eco Therapy can benefit you in healing.
7 Ways To Heal With Nature
House Plants
House plants are amazing at improving air quality and removing harmful pollutants reducing the chances of you getting ill and improving your health.
Having house plants is especially great for those without gardens giving you the opportunity to garden indoors and rake the benefits and well as the simple feel good hormones we get from seeing plants.
Wild Swimming
The benefits of wild swimming and cold water are endless.
Cold water swimming helps to improve blood circulation, and muscle recovery, boosts your immune system, and releases endorphins (feel-good hormones).
On top of all those, by being in nature and wild swimming you are connecting with nature, feeling a sense of achievement and clarity, all elements that support the relief and management of Anxiety and Depression.
Sunlight Exposure
Sunlight not only supports our body clock (circadian rhythm) but it also increases the release of serotonin (our feel-good chemical) and regulates melatonin levels (helping us feel rested) and provides Vitamin D which we require to absorb calcium.
Together these have a positive effect on our immune system, mood, focus, and metabolism as well as improving sleep patterns and our overall health.
Gardening
Seeing flowers actually triggers a release of dopamine boosting your mood and, releasing feelings of Anxiety and Depression.
Getting out in the garden and taking the time to slow down, be surrounded by nature (however big or small the space) is very effective at calming the nervous system and bringing you into the present.
Gardening is also a great way to feel a sense of purpose and achievement in tending to plants, seeing fruit grow on seed you had planted and see the changes throughout the seasons.
Walking in Nature
A walk in nature not only keeps you active supporting your physical health but walks in nature have also been shown to improve mood, focus and confidence.
Showing positive effects for lowering stress, anxiety and depression symptoms.
Walking is a great form of exercise and being outside breathing in the fresh air, soaking up that sunlight and getting the blood pumping around the body helps to improve overall health and wellbeing.
Blue Spaces
Spending time by water especially large bodies of water such as the Ocean or Lakes have been shown to improve mental health and even looking at images featuring water has proven to have a positive impacted according to studies.
Seeing water helps us to slow down, reflect and process our thoughts and emotions. The sounds of water is also very calming and used often for relaxation and meditation.
Green Spaces
The term Green Spaces is used to cover natural areas such as forests, urban parks or nature reserves.
Research has shown that being in green spaces, seeing trees, gardening, talking a walk in the woods, all benefit mental and physical health.
There are a number of places where GP’s have now been prescribing patients to visit green spaces to improve conditions such as Depression, Anxiety, Obesity and even Diabetes.
Nature is such a valuable resource for our well-being. In essence, nature acts as a natural remedy, offering a holistic approach to improving our health and well-being.
Those 7 ways nature can help you heal are there to inspire and inform you of things you can implement into your daily life by immersing yourself in the beauty of the natural world, we can find solace, rejuvenation, and a reprieve from the stressors of everyday life.
So, next time you're feeling overwhelmed or down, consider stepping outside and letting the healing power of nature work its magic on your mind and soul.
