By Jeremy Bekker
“In every walk of nature one receives more than he seeks.”
A couple years ago, I took a trip up the West Coast with my wife. While there we visited an aquarium in Oregon. It was quite possibly one of the saddest places I have ever seen—I didn’t know fish could look hopeless or anxious until I stepped into that aquarium. They each sat in their own grimy tank, separate from their social relationships and natural habitat. I didn’t just write this blog post to tell you to avoid this particular aquarium (although it would probably be best if you did), but rather because the poor fish in that dingy aquarium illustrate the importance of nature connection.
All living things possess an innate need to interact with their natural environments, a phenomenon that the naturalist and writer Edward Wilson calls “biophilia”. I think oftentimes we live our lives cooped up in fish tank-like environments; whether it be our homes, offices, or school classrooms, we spend a lot of time indoors. Obviously we do important things indoors—we need to be productive and we like to be comfortable, but there is a lot of scientific data that says taking a break from our tasks and heading outdoors would make our lives more productive and enjoyable.
Here are three main reasons why reconnecting with nature is worth it.
Psychological well-being: Perhaps most importantly, nature exposure is tied to many positive psychological outcomes. Exposure to nature has been shown to increase positive emotions, well-being, and lower mental distress as well as allow for better ability to reflect on life problems. Furthermore, connection with nature has been correlated with an increase in positive affect, vitality, and life satisfaction.
Green exercise: Spending time in nature engaged in several different types of physical activity including walking, jogging, and strenuous activity have been shown to improve feeling and functioning. These activities, done in natural environments, produce greater physical and psychological benefits than exercise indoors.
Cognitive restoration: Nature appears to have a restorative effect on the functioning of the human brain. Over time, long periods spent indoors may lead to attention fatigue, and spending time in natural environments may help relieve that fatigue. Interacting with nature has been shown to lead to an increase in attention, memory, and academic performance.
Now that you're convinced that nature connection is important, check out our new online module to learn more about how to bring the natural world back into your life.
*During the COVID-19 pandemic, it is important that we choose outdoor activities that allow for appropriate social distancing and that follow state and local laws.
