We are often bombarded with constant stimulation from screens and electronics which programs our brains to anticipate massive amounts of ongoing information along with our mind feeling like it needs to be doing something, checking apps/emails/texts, etc.. This makes it hard for our brains to shift into a truly relaxed state. By placing yourself in the natural world, the mind shifts from its programmed state (rapid thoughts, negative self-talk, trying to anticipate what’s next) to a slower, calmer, safer, creative, curious, and calm state.
Health Benefits of nature immersion:
Reduces blood pressure
Lowers resting heart rate
Lowers cortisol
Lowers inflammation
How to get those benefits:
1a. Go to a place that feels like raw nature away from sights and sounds of civilization
1b. Go somewhere near where you live that has a raw nature feel buts its still in the city where you can’t see or hear cars
Don’t wear any sunglasses while doing step 1 so that the unique blue light from the sun can enter your eyes. This signals the release of lots of serotonin (the happiness hormone) which shuts off the release of cortisol (stress hormone). The reason why wearing sunglasses isn’t recommended is due to the fact that it reduces how much blue light can enter your eyes by 7-15x.
2. Look for the small details in nature and full sweeps of your surroundings
3. Listen for what the wild life, the wind, the trees sound like
4. Smell the air
5. Touch leaves, bark, plants
How long and frequently
At least 15 minutes, 1-2 hours if you have the time
Aim for 3 times/week
Many people don’t realize how stressed they are until they do the steps, duration, and frequency listed above and experience the benefits.
A great example that shows the power of walking outside on boosting your mood is found in a temperature swinging climate of Ottawa Canada. The college campus found in Ottawa experiences temperature ranges of 86 degrees in the summer and -4 degrees in the winter. The college is connected with extensive underground tunnels to avoid the weather extremes and get where you need to go. Researchers had 150 participants walk 17 minutes either above ground (includes a riverbank, trees, plants, and urban views) or in the tunnels to get to their destination. They had to evaluate how they felt before the walk and after. Everyone who walked outdoors had a 33% increase in their mood compared to those who walked underground.
If you’d like to discover new places nearby that meet the 3 elements listed above, check out the Alltrails app.
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References
Epel, E. (2022). The stress prescription. Random House USA.