The Natural Health Service

By Philippa Rickard

Urban experiences dominate our lives, with 90% of us in the UK living in cities (1). Meanwhile, the gap between us and nature widens (2). Unsurprisingly, the perception of being disconnected from each other, ourselves and our environment has resulted in poor mental and physical health (3).

Nature is filled with stimuli that involuntarily and discretely grab our attention, which provides restoration from mental tiredness (4,5). Urban environments are less restorative, because they are filled with stimuli that dramatically grab and require additional attention, like hazards such as moving vehicles (4). Think about how different it feels strolling along a countryside path to negotiating a busy street.

The benefits of a view of nature from a window have long been known and have been seen to help recovering surgery patients (6), but why is this? It can be explained from an evolutionary perspective (7), the Biophilic (attraction to nature) hypothesis (8). Due to our evolution in natural environments (7) we have an affinity with nature, not with built settings (9). We respond positively to places that would have been favourable for the survival of our ancestors (10). This positive emotion is not only an indicator of good mental health, it actually produces it (11).

For many of us our only contact with nature is through urban green spaces, such as parks (12). These spaces provide benefits such as longer life expectancy and a decreased risk of mental illness (6,13). Exercise in the presence of nature, or green exercise, is unsurprisingly more beneficial than exercise in built settings (11). Green exercise has been shown to improve self-esteem and mood (indicators of mental health and protectors against long-term physical health threats) (14). GPs have even been recommended to consider green exercise as a treatment option for anyone suffering mental distress (15).

Interacting with nature is a therapy that is readily available to us, has no unpleasant side effects and can improve our mental and physical wellbeing at zero cost4. Looking out over nature from your window or spending 5-minutes in your local park can make your day better, increase your confidence and lift your mood. Nature provides an important health service, use it.

References

1. Dallimer, M., Irvine, K. N., Skinner, A. M. J., Davies, Z. G., Rouquette, J. R., Maltby, L. L., Warren, P. H., Armsworth, P. R., and Gaston, K. J. (2012) Biodiversity and the Feel-Good Factor: Understanding Associations between Self-Reported Human Well-being and Species Richness, BioScience, 62:1, 47–55.

2. James R. Miller, J. R. (2005) Biodiversity conservation and the extinction of experience, Trends in Ecology and Evolution, 20:8, 430 – 434.

3. Nurse, J., Basher, D., Bone, A. and Bird, W. (2010) An ecological approach to promoting population mental health and well-being − A response to the challenge of climate change, Perspectives in Public Health, 130:1, 27 – 33.

4. Berman, M.G., Jonides, J., Kaplan, S., (2008) The cognitive benefits of interacting with nature, Psychological Science, 19:12, 1207 – 1212.

5. Roe, J. and Aspinall, P. (2011) The restorative benefits of walking in urban and rural settings in adults with good and poor mental health, Health & Place, 17,103 – 113.

6. Ulrich, R. S. (1984) View through a window may influence recovery from surgery, Science, 224, 420 – 421.

7. van den Berg, A. E., Maas, J., Verheij, R. A. and Groenewegen, P. P. (2010) Green space as a buffer between stressful life events and health, Social Science and Medicine, 70, 1203 – 1210.

8. O’Brien, L. and Murray, R. (2007) Forest School and its impacts on young children: Case studies in Britain, Urban Forestry and Urban Greening, 6, 249 – 265.

9. Ulrich, R. S. (1993) Biophilia, biophobia and natural landscapes. In: Kellert, S. R. and Wilson, E. O. (eds.) The Biophilia hypothesis, 75 – 137. Washington DC: Island Press.

10. Kellert, S. R., and Wilson, E. O. (1993) The biophilia hypothesis, Washington DC: Island Press.

11. Roe, J. and Aspinall, P. (2011) The restorative benefits of walking in urban and rural settings in adults with good and poor mental health, Health & Place, 17, 103 – 113.

12. Dallimer, M., Irvine, K. N., Skinner, A. M. J., Davies, Z. G., Rouquette, J. R., Maltby, L. L., Warren, P. H., Armsworth, P. R., and Gaston, K. J. (2012) Biodiversity and the Feel-Good Factor: Understanding Associations between Self-Reported Human Well-being and Species Richness, BioScience, 62:1, 47–55.

13. Wipfli, B., Landers, D., Nagoshi, C. and Ringenbach, S. (2011) An examination of serotonin and psychological variables in the relationship between exercise and mental health, Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports, 21, 474 – 481.

14. Wells, N. M., Evans, G. W., (2003) Nearby nature: a buffer of life stress among rural children, Environment and Behavior 35, 311–330.

15. Mind (2007) Ecotherapy The green agenda for mental health, Mind week Report.