How To Steal The Sun's Energy: or The Benefits of Nature

"Feeling stressed or down? Nature can help!" - Jessica B.

Summer is here!

While we embrace the warm weather and enjoy the sunshine, it’s the perfect time to think about how we can steal all of the sun's energy 😈!

Or rather- it's the perfect time to think about how nature and spending time outside benefits us, and how we can incorporate more of it into our daily lives. We can improve our brain and body health in simple ways, without a large-scale sun-stealing operation!

Mental clarity and focus

Ever feel like you’ve hit a mental block while studying or working? Try taking a break outdoors! Nature helps restore cognitive performance, especially in attention-related tasks. Being among the trees, birds, and flowers can help increase attention span and awareness. Turns out, just watching a river flow by can actually allow the brain to reset and take a break. This makes it a perfect remedy for a midday slump!

Stress and mood

Feeling stressed or down? Nature can help!

Spending time outside has been shown to invoke calmness and reduce stress symptoms by promoting a sense of being “away” from everyday life. It also helps shift our focus; surrounding ourselves with nature moves our attention out to the world, which brings more positive feelings. This can shake us out of our inner thoughts, where we might be stuck, stressed, worried, and thinking only of ourselves. Being in nature also helps to reform negative thoughts and reduce stress hormone levels.

Improved sleep quality

Need help getting a good night's sleep? Spending time outdoors in the morning and early midday helps reset our circadian rhythms, which can help improve sleep quality and quantity at night. Circadian rhythms are the body's natural clocks. To keep them all in time, we need sunshine, temperature changes, and interaction with others. Try viewing greenery from home or visiting parks or lakes. Engaging with natural environments can improve overall well-being and, in turn, promote healthier and more restful sleep.

Overall well-being

Several studies have shown that individuals who spend time in natural environments experience improved mental health. Nature visits, especially frequent and longer visits, are also linked to better physical and social health. Being in nature helps lower blood pressure and increases the feeling of connectedness to the community and others.

How to incorporate more nature into your daily life?

🚶Go on walks! Try to incorporate walks into your daily routine. Consider going before or after work, or during a lunch break - this is a great time to listen to music or a podcast, catch up with a friend, take your pet out, or simply be present. Physical activity in green spaces is very beneficial, both mentally and physically! Start small- even if it's only two minutes up the street and back.

☀️Plan outside summer activities - planning things like a BBQ, party, picnic, or day trip are great ways to enjoy some time outside. When we have something scheduled and in our calendar, we're more likely to view it as a non-negotiable event. (Need extra help committing to your own plan? Ask a friend or family member to come along. It's much harder to cancel when we know we have loved ones looking forward to it too! 😉)

⚽Try some outdoor hobbies (or simply try doing some of your regular hobbies outdoors) - Consider trying outdoor sports, yoga, hiking, gardening, or sitting outside and reading! There are so many ways to enjoy the outdoors. Don't feel like you have hobbies? Can't get off your phone? Doom scroll outside! It's small steps that take us to big places.

🌲Choose you space - If you’re looking for a place to live, consider picking a more natural neighbourhood. Neighbourhoods with more birds and vegetation have been linked to lower stress and better mood. Already settled, but feeling up to a challenge? Look into contributing to your local community garden, or nature revitalization project. We have a say in our spaces!

🎧Get a glimpse - If you can’t make it outside, try listening to nature sounds, watching a nature video, or using Virtual Reality. While it won't reap as many benefits as physically going outside, studies show that virtual or audible nature can alleviate stress and improve mood too, making it a good alternative. Studies have also shown that small exposures to nature, as simple as a window overlooking trees, can improve recovery and reduce pain. So, if you're experiencing a flare up of a chronic condition and don't have the energy to move outdoors, open the blinds, turn on some bird songs, and know that you're still doing something to care for YOU!

At Sano State Psychology, we are always happy to help. Get in touch with us HERE or by calling 587-333-6349. 💙

References

Berto, R. (2014). The role of nature in coping with psycho-physiological stress: A literature review on Restorativeness. MDPI. https://www.mdpi.com/2076-328X/4/4/394 Bratman, G.N., Hamilton, J.P. and Daily, G.C. (2012), The impacts of nature experience on human cognitive function and mental health. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1249: 118-136. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1749-6632.2011.06400.x

Browning, M. H., Shin, S., Drong, G., McAnirlin, O., Gagnon, R. J., Ranganathan, S., Sindelar, K., Hoptman, D., Bratman, G. N., Yuan, S., Prabhu, V. G., & Heller, W. (2023). Daily exposure to virtual nature reduces symptoms of anxiety in college students. Scientific Reports, 13(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-28070-9

Cox, D. T., Shanahan, D. F., Hudson, H. L., Plummer, K. E., Siriwardena, G. M., Fuller, R. A., Anderson, K., Hancock, S., & Gaston, K. J. (2017). Doses of neighborhood nature: The benefits for mental health of living with nature. BioScience, biw173. https://doi.org/10.1093/biosci/biw173

Martin, L., White, M. P., Elliott, L. R., Grellier, J., Astell-Burt, T., Bratman, G. N., Lima, M. L., Nieuwenhuijsen, M., Ojala, A., Roiko, A., Van den Bosch, M., & Fleming, L. E. (2024). Mechanisms underlying the associations between different types of nature exposure and sleep duration: An 18-country analysis. Environmental Research, 250, 118522. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2024.118522

Disclaimer

Our content is for informational and educational purposes and is not a replacement for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you're facing mental health concerns, please seek help from a qualified professional for personalized guidance. Every individual's situation is unique, so use the information here at your discretion. While we strive for accuracy, the field of psychology is ever-evolving, and our content may not always reflect the latest research. Please prioritize your privacy by avoiding sharing personal information in comments or interactions. Your well-being is our top concern, so use our content for educational purposes, but remember to rely on professionals for your specific needs.

Written by Jessica B. Edited and reformatted by Allana S.