Mental health starts with you and expands from there out into the world, and everything in the world that makes up your unique context influences your mental health. It is a consistently continuous cycle, and if things become imbalanced, mental health can really decline. One huge way of maintaining this homeostasis is through the biggest threshold between you and the rest of the planet. Good mental health matures outside in nature!
With the swift rise of a digital world reducing the need to leave the comfort and luxuries of one’s own home, humans are more out of touch with the great outdoors than ever before. Considering that live streaming, grocery delivery, Amazon 2-day shipping, FaceTime/Zoom, work from home routines, telehealth services, and social media all bring the world to our front door step and inside our homes, it’s no wonder we only spend about an average of 8 percent of our life outside.
We have lost our connection with nature, and it’s hurting us.
Humans are genetically engineered to be attracted to things that are alive outside. We were made to grow in nature alongside the flowers and trees; next to the mountains and ocean; near the birds, fish, and even the bugs.
We belong in nature and our minds and bodies know it. People are hard-wired to thrive in the living, natural world, and it really only takes a little effort and intentional planning to find ways to interact with nature, even in our largely urbanized society.
Why nature matters
At an estimated 83% of the U.S. population living in urban areas, there is a vast disconnect between life spent in nature versus indoors/in a vehicle. This number is only expected to rise as the world population continues to move towards urban centers and urbanize the rest.
This is so alarming because those who live in an urban area have a 20% greater chance of developing either anxiety or depression than those who live outside the city, while psychosis is reportedly 77% more likely in urban-dwellers. These studies show that this is especially impactful during childhood and adolescence, as those who grew up in an urban environment typically had a higher risk of mental illness as an adult.
For many hundreds of years and across countless cultures around the world, nature has been lauded as central to the wellbeing of both the individual and the collective. In this modern world, the effects of empiricism and capitalism have violently stripped the earth of many of its natural resources, greatly hindering the human race to experience more of the healing powers of nature.
Thus, these ravaging methods of dominating the earth are what many consider to be one of the biggest causes of the climate crisis our world is facing today. Whether you personally deem this the case, or that the climate crisis is as big of a problem as the science is making it out to be (It is.), all of this influences the context within which our reality is forged. So regardless, in other words, it all affects and is affected by mental health.
At the end of the day, the human race has turned its back on the healing properties of nature, opting to destroy it all in exchange for devices with screens that we spend way too long staring at.
Too much time in front of screens is deadly
With the rise of technology (and especially these little supercomputers stowed away in our pockets), there has perhaps never been a greater hindrance on our health and wellness. Simply put, spending less time staring at digital screens and more time outside connecting with the world is paramount to regulating ourselves and taking care of our mental and physical health.
The average American now spends more time (at nearly eight hours a day) looking at a screen than sleeping. Yikes. Future generations will look back at our time period and think of screen time similarly to how we view smoking of older generations. The negative signs are all there, we must now regulate these things for the sake of our health, as too much screen time is associated with higher mortality rates.
Screen time can force our bodies to suppress the sleep-regulating hormone melatonin and disrupt our circadian rhythms, causing poor sleep. This can lead to many negative side effects, such as decreased cognitive function, mental fogginess, limited attention span, difficulty converting short-term memory into long-term, diminished decision-making skills, low energy, mood swings, and increases in stress, anxiety, irritability, and depression.
Stress regulation is deeply affected by digital consumption. Other harmful side effects of overconsumption of screen time include depression, anxiety and brain fog, impulsive behavior, increased experiences of cyberbullying or harassment, and self-isolation.
Physical side effects of too much screen time include weight gain and diabetes, eye irritation or short-term vision impairment, and sometimes even long-term vision damage. One study compared the rates of diagnoses of near-sightedness in children between those that were required to spend time outside versus those who weren’t and opted for screen time. Unsurprisingly, significantly fewer children were diagnosed with near-sightedness that spent more time out in nature than staring at screens.
Exchange Screen Time with Green Time to Rebalance
The pandemic forced society to move into a state of constant online presence in order to maintain work schedules and social connection. Moving everything online was necessary and, for a time, legally required for some. Now comes our reckoning: we must find a way to transition from screen time back to green time.
Evidence supports an association between common types of nature experiences and increased psychological well-being, including happiness, positive social interactions, a greater sense of meaning and purpose in life, increased productivity, decreases in mental distress, memory and attention boosts, and creativity.
Time spent in nature reduces risk factors and burdens of some types of mental health concerns (particularly those that were increased by too much screen time), especially relating to sleep problems, stress, anxiety, and depression. Simply spending time out in sunlight improves mood and increases happiness, and each hour spent outside in natural light is linked to decreases in the risk of long-term depression.
These are all the exact outcomes needed to combat the ongoing rise of social media and over-reliance on all things digital. Bringing our focus back to the actual living and growing things around us leads us out of digital decay, while allowing us to keep utilizing the amazing by-products of a connected and technologically-advanced society.
We aren’t suggesting completely removing cell phones and social media; we should continue to mindfully and thoughtfully expand their use. Obviously you would not be reading this right now if you weren’t looking at a screen. Mindful Media offers a solution. The key is to opt for balance and awareness; screen time with the absence of green time is detrimental. There’s even a whole term to diagnose such an occurrence.
Nature-deficit disorder
Studies suggest that “nature-deficit disorder” is a measurable, real issue. As the CDC has pointed out, there has been an increase in the last few years of mental health conditions in children and adolescents. If the effects of nature-deficit disorder hit younger people harder, we cannot turn away. Fortunately, fixing the problem need not be complicated (nor expensive).
All in all, nature is just as important in keeping us emotionally, psychologically, and physically healthy as nutrition and exercise. That’s why it’s being included as treatment plans in some cases. (This is not medical advice. Please speak with your trusted care team for a treatment plan suited for you.)
Doctors are commonly prescribing “nature” as a remedy for lowering cortisol levels, heart rate, and blood pressure, all of which help stabilize mood and decrease stress. Minimal time spent outdoors is detrimental, so the best treatment is naturally to promote a lifestyle that spends more time outside. It may sound silly, but the simple act of getting outside and into a green, growing, natural environment can change everything.
A recent study found that the ideal time to spend per week in nature is 120 minutes total, with no real correlations on frequency, session times, activities, or specific scenery or location beyond the two hour threshold. Anything less did not seem to offer the same health benefits.
Of note, too, is that this 120 minute escape into nature was equally as beneficial to all people groups. Nature is not prejudiced in its offerings to different ages, races, cultures, genders, income levels, body types, etc. Mother Earth welcomes all people with her soothing arms wide open.
Practical tips to get more time outside
With the realization that more and more people are confined to urban areas (and urban areas are expanding across the globe), it is challenging to accommodate a nature-focused lifestyle. Incorporating more time in nature takes intentionality, mindfully carving out and integrating those recommended two hours throughout your week.
The most sustainable method to accomplish this involves doing the same or similar things you normally would, just outside rather than indoors. Meet a friend for coffee while you walk through a park. Take the long route to pass by more trees and flowers on your way to and from work. Instead of sitting on the couch to read, grab your book and spend a few hours reading outside.
Opt to slow down and enjoy the natural beauty of the planet we all live on. It is important, too, to allow nature to sooth us as we experience it.
Meditate by listening to a nearby flowing body of water rippling across the landscape, or watching the rustling of the leaves through the shadow of trees, or spend a moment feeling nature by walking barefoot on soil and grass (minding any hazards of course). Get out and smell the roses or whatever flower or plant is growing nearby. You can even taste nature by investing in a garden, whether it be one pot of mint growing in your windowsill or a sprawling community garden that you tend with your neighbors.
And remember, connecting with nature doesn’t have to be done alone. Bring your friends and hang out in the park together. Invite your family out to a natural setting for an afternoon. Take your significant other on a nature-centered vacation or stay-cation. All the mental and physical health improvements from spending time out in nature perfectly facilitate you to connect with yourself and others. Doing it all together literally makes the world a happier, brighter place.
We must move forward together as a society that honors and respects nature; not just as land to “own” and develop or food to consume or profit from. Nature energizes us, uplifts us, strengthens us, improves our health. Here’s your call to action: spend time in nature, take care of yourself, and remember that together we are better.
To fully reintegrate mindfulness into our daily lives, we must take the time to consider how to reconnect with nature so we can improve and maintain our mental health. Simply Psych is committed to promoting inclusive and practical mindfulness so that all people can feel better together. Learn more at www.simplypsych.com today!
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