Long visits to nature are linked to improved mental health.
Adam Rifkin stashed this in Attitude
Stashed in: #health, #happiness, Outdoors, Science!, #kindness, Awesome, Psychology!, Nature!, Out of Doors, National Parks, National Parks, Mental Health, Personal Finance, Mental Health, Cognitive Bias
Need an attitude adjustment? Take a long visit to nature.
People who visit parks for 30 minutes or more each week are much less likely to have high blood pressure or poor mental health than those who don’t, according to new research by Australian and UK environmental scientists.
Top Reddit comment:
It's probably a combination of things. Sunlight allows the body to produce vitamin D, which has been linked with a reduction in depressive symptoms.
When you're in a park you're likely walking and doing physical activities, and exercise is positively correlated with improvements in mood and reduced depressive symptoms, not to mention it's good for the heart, blood pressure, and physical health in general.
If you're in a park you tend to be more relaxed, which also allows time for reflection and emotional processing without the distractions of being at home or work.
Finally, there might indeed be something to the idea of us feeling at home in a primal way in natural places, and this might be comforting and soothing to us, as we so often live outside of natural settings these days.
12:55 PM Jun 27 2016