Why nature is good for your mental health

Why nature is good for your mental health

Back in the day, doctors would send patients with anxiety and depression into the mountains because the fresh air would do them good. Though they did not have the research to back it up, they knew that nature was good for our mental health. Today, there is good evidence for these claims and clinicians have developed different types of “nature therapy”, also known as ecotherapy, which harness the healing power of nature. Henry David Thoreau once said “We need the tonic of wildness…We can never have enough of nature.” And indeed, I have found that to be true. The more time I spend out in the wilderness, the more I want. Perhaps after watching this video, you’ll feel the same way.

Sources:
https://www.apa.org/monitor/apr01/greengood
https://www.wired.com/2010/08/the-psychology-of-nature/
https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/1948/nature-and-environment-the-psychology-of-its-benefits-and-its-protection
https://positivepsychologyprogram.com/positive-effects-of-nature/
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/psy-curious/201603/the-restorative-effect-nature
https://en.wikiversity.org/wiki/Psychology_of_natural_scenes
http://time.com/4881665/green-spaces-nature-happiness/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19121124
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5451986/
https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1471-2458-10-456
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/17439760.2014.994224?journalCode=rpos20
https://digitalcommons.wou.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1039&context=fac_pubs
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/306526247_A_Comparative_Study_of_Human_Well-Being_Indicators_Across_Three_Puget_Sound_Regions
http://www.acarindex.com/dosyalar/makale/acarindex-1431807096.PDF
https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2013-24184-003
https://eprints.lse.ac.uk/49376/1/Mourato_Happiness_greater_natural_2013.pdf
https://selfdeterminationtheory.org/SDT/documents/2010_RyanWeinstenEtAl_JEVP.pdf
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/105382591003300203
https://digitalcommons.brockport.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=https://www.google.com/&httpsredir=1&article=1014&context=pes_synthesis
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27493670
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5153451/

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#nature #outdoors #mental health

50 Comments

  1. @GingerCinderella on May 1, 2025 at 2:28 am

    Lovely.

  2. @erin7913 on May 1, 2025 at 2:29 am

    I am actually Forrest bathing right now 😉

  3. @lazarusblackwell6988 on May 1, 2025 at 2:31 am

    i camped out in the woods for 3 months.

    Best time of my life and the best decision i ever made.

    The forest creatures were very kind.

  4. @df22fishingchanel68 on May 1, 2025 at 2:31 am

    😀😀👍

  5. @OfficiallyJuJu on May 1, 2025 at 2:31 am

    Hiking trails a few times a week is far more effective for me than Lexapro on a good day.

  6. @Vengatesh-f2k on May 1, 2025 at 2:34 am

    Brain predominantly on natural resources that feels heart that better as the nature.

  7. @georgeflatman9353 on May 1, 2025 at 2:34 am

    More like cities don’t make sense how is nature the problem

  8. @Pukekokiki on May 1, 2025 at 2:35 am

    You look the type of guy who is very friendly and likes to go out in nature

  9. @Fellmandave1 on May 1, 2025 at 2:37 am

    Thank you for this researched commentary. You come across as a nature sceptic though, or was it just the quality of evidence that you are sceptical about? Do you know of any evidence comparing life quality of urban vs rural dwellers?

  10. @nightrider4594 on May 1, 2025 at 2:37 am

    Yep!

  11. @potterylady44 on May 1, 2025 at 2:37 am

    Love nature!❤❤❤❤❤

  12. @mmoore9438 on May 1, 2025 at 2:38 am

    Thank you so much! Shared on @OpenMediaOne Telegram channel.

  13. @snaggletooth5844 on May 1, 2025 at 2:38 am

    You cant bring the natural experience in a video

  14. @zeldaprincessgirl100 on May 1, 2025 at 2:38 am

    Where I live, there is lots and lots of trees everywhere, it look like a forest, but it’s not, I like going to the neighborhood block behind my house, it’s very pretty, so many trees everywhere.

  15. @RedHeadie_88 on May 1, 2025 at 2:38 am

    2020: RIP mental health

  16. @eamparbeng on May 1, 2025 at 2:40 am

    I remember as a child I was an animal fanatic. I was obsessed with animals. My mom brought me a nature’s children book set of animals and I read all of them except the one about snakes. And surprisingly I not only didn’t feel the stress, but that increased my reading comprehension levels through the roof. And now that I’m an adult, I’m.going to redo what I did as a child

  17. @abdulc5726 on May 1, 2025 at 2:41 am

    It took 3 minutes and 28 seconds to get to the point of this video 😒

  18. @AkelePost on May 1, 2025 at 2:42 am

    Keep preaching this. I was happy when I was in the village. I am happy when i see green 💚 ☺️.

  19. @OneShotKill3r on May 1, 2025 at 2:42 am

    I have a theory that one of the reasons it feels good to be outside is because it feels safer. Not because of the explanation in this video, but because open spaces spaces mean there’s escape routes everywhere, and maybe you could see danger coming. Inside you don’t know what’s coming, and you’re kind of trapped in way. Of course not that relevant in the modern world, but it could be a remnant of evolution.

  20. @speedbuddy on May 1, 2025 at 2:42 am

    Cant stand inside since i was little my parents had a hard time getting me to come in for dinner
    Its hard to go back inside
    Dont get people who stay indoors watching t.v all day
    Fresh air
    Mother nature
    Summer yellow jackets eat with me crazy again since little
    Love the earth and it will love you❤2

  21. @Tony-nj9de on May 1, 2025 at 2:45 am

    I find mountain Areas or Grasslands with some forest Relaxing especially large mountains Like in Canada or Switzerland

  22. @alexandraperez3657 on May 1, 2025 at 2:46 am

    I wish a mosquito had bit you at the beginning lol

  23. @sheetalmaluja0818 on May 1, 2025 at 2:49 am

    There is strong a connection with nature making us healthier and happier people, because of the five elements present in our body. Planet ayurveda is providing herbal medicines and healthy lifestyle consultations for betterment.

  24. @CJ-ft9yo on May 1, 2025 at 2:53 am

    ..strange, i live in a small country town in Australia and born on a farm in Wales but lately i go swimming alone in the lake or walking and it makes me feel stressed, lonely depressed and lost. i rush home hopefully to feeling normal ..

  25. @sodhyagnura4712 on May 1, 2025 at 2:55 am

    what prevents you from doing outdoor activities in nature, in the mountains or parks ?

  26. @SajiSNairNair-tu9dk on May 1, 2025 at 2:55 am

    😂🕵️ ⓠ℮ηʝ◎¥﹩😂

  27. @PedroDVC on May 1, 2025 at 2:56 am

    Nature is our natural habitat! Not concrete buildings…

  28. @RickHavenstein. on May 1, 2025 at 2:58 am

    Yup👍

  29. @Hattie2m on May 1, 2025 at 2:59 am

    One of the core principals of The Trailhead Homestead, a therapy farm in Alaska. One of their mandatory activities with the kids in their program is a nature walk.

  30. @immasoxfanbaby on May 1, 2025 at 2:59 am

    Nice walk up 😅

  31. @neurotransmissions on May 1, 2025 at 3:00 am

    You might ask, “What’s that thing you’re holding? Is it a fuzzy squirrel? Is this your sick, deranged way of reconnecting with nature?” No, it’s just my dead cat. Err…sorry, I mean my deadcat. The fuzzy exterior shields the microphone from the wind. Normally I’d try to keep the mic out of frame, but since I was filming solo out in the field, that was the lightest and easiest way to roll. Did that bug you? Let me know! I’m genuinely interested.

  32. @TranquilityNow on May 1, 2025 at 3:00 am

    It’s great to learn about all the theories and data that back and explains the positive experience most of us have in nature.

  33. @JUPITER11119 on May 1, 2025 at 3:01 am

    I thought this video was going to provide information on why nature is good for mental health. But it just invalidated everything that was presented, except for horticulture therapy. So it doesn’t really leave us anything to use back up anything…

  34. @lazarusblackwell6988 on May 1, 2025 at 3:03 am

    Civilization is based on greed and greed is an addiction.

    All these cities exist to ring as much profit from us as possible.

    Addiction is a disease.

  35. @louism.3435 on May 1, 2025 at 3:05 am

    I fantasize about being with nature. Having a good bond with it, stalking and hunting animals, and exploring every path. When I do that my mood goes up for days

  36. @makinsavage5975 on May 1, 2025 at 3:05 am

    Nature always reminds of God.

  37. @mayankgupta2343 on May 1, 2025 at 3:10 am

    Boobs sucking is also good for mental health

  38. @jeshX3 on May 1, 2025 at 3:12 am

    Too bad I get absolutely murdered by bugs whenever I go outside 😐

  39. @iamtaliba.divine.love1322 on May 1, 2025 at 3:16 am

    “I AM Mother Nature!”💙🙏🏽👸🏽⏰💦🦋

  40. @MoniMeka on May 1, 2025 at 3:18 am

    I love nature! Nice video!

  41. @shalxnda on May 1, 2025 at 3:18 am

    I wish I had nature trails around me or lived somewhere like Oregon

  42. @Mialee123-w1z on May 1, 2025 at 3:20 am

    Explains why I am out on a trial hiking or running every chance I get! Thanks😊

  43. @eviewyatt9186 on May 1, 2025 at 3:21 am

    One thing I absolutely recommend is buying a clean paint roller tray (the ones with a ramp/slope) and fill it with cold water and put it on top of a shed roof of somewhere high they can reach, they LOVE bathing in it when it’s hot, i always see a small family of birds coming to it, make sure to clean and refill the tray, though!

  44. @erenjeager9442 on May 1, 2025 at 3:22 am

    Singapore has Trees in their cities which is why the locals are happy.😊

  45. @ryanthelin6867 on May 1, 2025 at 3:24 am

    Come to NZ most of our cities is filled with nature

  46. @destinyovensen1895 on May 1, 2025 at 3:24 am

    Actually, research has shown that the mere act of touching soil increases the amount of neurons firing in your brain. This supports the theory of biophilia. I researched this for a scholarship project in my Experiential learning Initiatives class.

  47. @stepsforthesoul on May 1, 2025 at 3:25 am

    I agree 100%!!!!

  48. @kiwifrog8878 on May 1, 2025 at 3:26 am

    God created nature

  49. @Thezazaas on May 1, 2025 at 3:26 am

    Outside good. Inside bad.

  50. @theyoungone5034 on May 1, 2025 at 3:27 am

    one of the most beautiful video i have ever watched

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