Nature’s Effect on our Mental Health
If you’ve ever been stressed, anxious, or just feeling a little blue, you know that it can be tough to find the motivation to get out of the house and into nature. But check this out: several studies have found that being in nature for even short periods of time can have a positive effect on our mental health. For example, one study found that women who looked at pictures of nature for two minutes had lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol (Gillespie, et al., 2019). Another study showed that people who walked in a forest preserve showed lower levels of hostility, aggression and anxiety than they did before the walk. How is this possible, and how can we most effectively reap the mental health benefits that nature offers? »
