Most of us spend most of our day indoors, like the workplace. Often without even doing much physical exercise. This condition can, in the long run, lead to more or less important health problems. But it only takes a few minutes a day to take a "green bath" and recover from the daily routine. Among the benefits of contact with nature there are: stress reduction, increased vitality and creativity, increased attention in children and also improved memory.
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Most of us spend most of our day indoors, like the workplace. Often without even doing much physical exercise. This condition can, in the long run, lead to more or less important health problems. But it only takes a few minutes a day to take a “green bath” and recover from the daily routine. So here are 5 good reasons to be in contact with nature as much as possible.
In Japan they call it Shinrin-yoku, which literally means ‘forest bathing‘. It is the traditional custom of taking long walks in the woods. Walking surrounded by trees, breathing in their scents and listening to their noises, triggers positive reactions in our nervous system. Walking in the woods works as a real antidote to stress. In fact, it relaxes the mind and body, until it slows down the heartbeat and reduces the production of those hormones (such as cortisol) that are the sentinels of stress.
Spending your free time in nature is often much more regenerating than a coffee. According to some studies published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology, being in the middle of greenery increases vitality regardless of your habits in physical activity or social interaction. Nature thus becomes a real “fuel for the soul“.
Other research shows that children suffering from attention deficit disorder and hyperactivity disorder who spend their free time in nature show less severe symptoms. Out of 400 children diagnosed with Adhd, those who used to play outside in green environments developed better concentration. Not only that, but they were usually calmer, more relaxed and happier.
Those who do creative work, or simply those who want to keep their creativity alive, will already know that. Nature is a real fuel for the mind. To prove this there is interesting research conducted by a team of British scientists who have even measured a 50% increase in creativity during a total immersion in nature for four days. Of course, without the use of technology and the internet.
Walking in a forest improves the ability to remember things, especially short-term memory. It was demonstrated during an experiment in Michigan. A group of people were asked to remember a sequence of numbers. They were then divided into two groups: one walked in a forest and the other in a crowded street. Those who had walked in the greenery were 20 percent better.