Jako Hall is an experienced seafarer who has led teams as an operations manager, captain, and lieutenant commander throughout a distinguished career. In addition to traveling the Mediterranean and Caribbean, Jako Hall has been fortunate enough to visit some of the remotest spots on the planet. This article will look at the psychological and health benefits of spending time in nature and how time spent outdoors can improve not only physical fitness but happiness and overall wellbeing.
A growing body of scientific research suggests that exposure to the natural world has a plethora of health benefits. According to a study by the University of Exeter involving 20,000 people, spending just two hours per week in green spaces such as local parks or other outdoor environments can help improve psychological health and wellbeing. Spaced out over several visits or spent outdoors all at once, this two-hour minimum was a hard boundary, with the study revealing that those who failed to meet this threshold saw no health benefits.
Involving participants from a range of ethnic groups, occupations, and socioeconomic backgrounds, the University of Exeter study also included people with disabilities and chronic illnesses. Matthew White, who works at the European Centre for Environment & Human Health and led the study, reflected that it is well-known that getting outdoors can be good for people’s health and wellbeing. However, it was not until the study that scientists could stipulate how much time outdoors was required to see a positive impact. As Mr. White pointed out, two hours is a realistic target, particularly if it is spread over an entire week.
The study by Matthew White and his colleagues is the latest in a long line exploring the robust positive impact on human health bestowed by spending time in nature. The term “nature deficit disorder” was first used by San Diego-based author and journalist Richard Louv, who used the term in his 2005 bestseller Last Child in the Woods. As Matthew White points out, the subject has been virtually ignored by the academic world. Today, however, there are almost 1,000 studies into the topic, all pointing in the same direction, suggesting that nature is more than just a nice-to-have; it is a need-to-have for both physical health and cognitive function.
Studies have shown time and time again that, provided the individual feels safe, spending time in nature is an effective antidote for stress, lowering stress hormone levels and blood pressure, reducing anxiety, lowering nervous system arousal, increasing self-esteem, enhancing immune system function, and improving mood. Aggression and attention deficit disorder diminish in natural environments, speeding the rate of healing. In addition, a recent study conducted by psychiatric researchers revealed that spending time surrounded by nature also helped to promote calmness, reduce feelings of isolation, and improve mood among psychiatric patients.
Combining the fields of ecology and psychology, ecopsychology is a discipline that offers innovative perspectives on the relationship between humans and the world around them. Developed to transform anthropocentric views that place man at the center of the universe, ecopsychology focuses on the fundamental connections between humankind and the natural environment, not only examining the human mind and behavior but also studying mutual influences between humans and the natural environment.
Fundamental to ecopsychology is the concept that an individual’s need for deeper connection within themselves is intrinsically linked to their need for an authentic connection with nature. Ecopsychology teaches that a human’s environment has a significant impact on their mental health, wellbeing, and quality of life. The discipline also promotes social inclusion through intergenerational connection, encouraging the passing on of a valuable legacy of knowledge and experiences from the elderly to future generations.
