Sunday was a beautiful day. It was sunny, and the trees were an explosion of autumn colors. Stunning. We are attract to Nature, specially in these days where uncertainty fires up our stress response. Streets were empty. The lakeshore was full.
Sure you feel relaxed surrounded by Nature. You have the intuition that it’s good for you, and you are right, because now science is starting to know what happens when you are in Nature.
Just a 15 minute walk in a forest reduces stress hormone cortisol by 16%, lows blood pressure by 2% and your heart rate by 4%, according to Miyazaki, from Chiba University in Japan. That’s just part of physiological benefits. Mentally our focus sharpens attention skills, such as short term memory.
Nature heals, and our bodies knows it. But Nature has a tough competitor: Screens. Only ten percent of American teens spend time outside everyday. Adults, less than five per cent. Screens are addictive and craves our attention, but makes our brain distracted, stressed and unfocussed.
This week, reserve at least half an hour three times to go to Nature. WRITE IT DOWN ON YOUR CALENDAR!!! I know you follow orders from it.
One of the bests antidotes to stress is Nature. Tell me how you feel after it.