5 reasons to enjoy nature

• May 2, 2024

It is no secret to anyone that being in contact with nature makes us feel good. Experts say that it encourages attention, reduces aggression and helps physical recovery.

In a recent article, the magazine Observer of the Association for Psychological Science of the United States , analyzed the studies carried out in recent years on the relationship of the human being with nature and the importance of it for our health.

These investigations have shown that green environments favor psychological well-being, improve our attention and reduce irritability and aggression; from the point of view of physical well-being, they favor the early recovery of patients who have undergone surgical operations.

In GetQoralHealth we offer you 5 scientific reasons, among many others, for which it is essential to be in contact with nature.

1. It promotes physical recovery. As early as 1984, the journal Science published an article of Roger Ulrich which explained how the location of an Oregon hospital, in a natural environment, had managed to reduce the recovery time of the postoperative ones and had helped patients to need less drugs for the treatment of pain, among other advantages.

2. Impact on health. The natural spaces facilitate the realization of physical activity, improve the functioning of the immune system, help diabetics to reach healthy levels of blood glucose and improve the functional health status and life skills of the elderly. The natural spaces increase our potential for health and good character, says a team of scientists from the Landscape and Health Laboratory of the University of Illinois, in the United States.

3. Build trust Frequent green areas, whether forests, gardens or pedestrian areas, makes people tend to be generous and trust others. After more than a decade of research, scientists from the Landscape and Health Laboratory at the University of Illinois have concluded that nature is an essential component for good health and an influential factor in human behavior.

According to the researchers, in areas where there are green spaces, people are more generous and sociable and there are strong ties of social neighborhood and a greater sense of community, more mutual trust and a greater willingness to help others. In contrast, in environments with fewer green areas, the rate of violence, crime and crimes against property is higher.

4. Encourage attention. In 2008, the magazine Psychological Science published an article about an investigation carried out by Kaplan himself, in collaboration with Marc Berman and John Jonides , consisting of 38 volunteer students performing tasks that required a high level of concentration.

The group of volunteers was divided into two parts: the components of one of them took a walk through the city, while the members of the other walked through an arboretum. This second group scored higher than the first in the tests performed.

5. Reduce aggression. Based on Kaplan's studies, researchers William Sullivan and Frances Kuo, from the University of Illinois demonstrated significantly lower levels of aggressiveness and violence among residents with apartments close to nature, than among the others.

According to Observer, in recent decades the awareness of our relationship with the environment has been increasing, as well as the multiple findings about the effects of the natural environment on our own nature.

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