As we increase our dependence on technology, the amount of time we spend outdoors has decreased. Our decreased time in nature is also partly due to a lack of available green spaces. Combining these two trends has resulted in only one in ten children playing outside regularly.
Thankfully, there is a growing trend of fostering a more mindful connection to the earth today.
Our Connection with Nature
When we spend time in nature and become mindful of that connection, we experience positive emotions and an increased mental focus.
Studies have shown we have feelings of joy and gain an increased awareness of the wonders of nature. In addition, we also become more creative and experience heightened mindfulness. There are also reports of people experiencing a heightened ability to concentrate.
Mental health experts believe time in nature can decrease feelings of depression and anxiety. Time outside will also provide a steadiness of mind, enhancing our awareness of our sensations.
In Canada, some doctors now give prescriptions for their patients to visit national parks to improve their mental health.
Nature Exposure versus Nature Connectivity
Merely spending time outdoors doesn’t equal a connection to nature. A connection to nature is dependent on the extent to which we interact with it.
People fully connected to nature allow it to become part of their identity. Their everyday decisions are made with an awareness of how those decisions affect themselves as well as how they affect nature.
Connectivity to nature begins with a walk in the woods but requires us to become intentionally aware of how each of our senses experiences the wonders of nature.
As we run our fingers through the earth while gardening, or savor the aroma of wildflowers, those sensations become more intense, providing a multisensory interval that enhances our overall wellness.
Nature Benefits Our Health
Those enhanced sensations have a significant effect on our physical health. When we’re inspired by nature to increase the frequency and endurance of our walking, we experience an improvement in heart health.
With the average cost of a heart attack in the U.S. coming in over $20,000, improving heart health with simple measures like nature connectivity is undoubtedly in everyone’s best interests.
Doctors suggest lowering the risk of heart disease by engaging in aerobic exercise regularly. While statistics show annual attendance at gyms and health clubs is almost 60 million people, exercising in a nearby park or your yard is free and may be more beneficial.
Exercising outdoors has been shown to reduce anxiety and depression and can also improve your mood and boost your self-esteem.
How Our Interaction Can Benefit Nature
When our connectivity to nature increases, we adopt a more proactive attitude toward nature, encouraging us to adopt a more active role in preserving the earth.
The more we become aware of the larger issues impacting our local natural environments, the more we will band together with others who feel a similar mission to adopt more eco-friendly practices.
As we become aware of the earth’s needs, we realize we must actively participate in soil health. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, soil health is the ongoing role of the soil in providing an ecosystem that supports all living things including these three main components; plants, animals, and humans.
By making compost piles for fertilizer and actively seeking out sustainable materials, we take personal actions that make a global difference in soil health. By finding like-minded people who will join in those actions, and extend them to the voting booth, we can make a palpable difference in the future of our earth.
Perhaps you’re already aware of your role in the cycle of health connecting our bodies to the earth. Use the information above to find ways to increase your connection to nature. As you use your actions to care for the planet, you will increase your ability to care for yourself and your family.
Feature image: Sushobhan Badhai; Image 1: Alberto Casetta
