Research, worldwide, is pointing to just that: spending time in nature can help our mental and physical wellbeing. A person’s contact with nature can lead to improvements in mood and cognition, as well as cardiovascular health
and healing.
To help us better understand the benefits of spending time in nature, we asked Dunkirk Family Practice physicians, Dr. Cathy Brophy and Dr. Joyce Owens to provide some insights into how venturing outdoors can provide a boost to a person’s wellbeing.
“First, we’re not talking about having to take a trip to a National Park or to a vacation spot,” said Dr. Brophy. “A natural area in your backyard, a grove of trees or wildflowers, a vegetable garden, can all provide a calming refuge to enjoy the benefits of nature.”
“Just the act of walking out your back door, taking in a deep breath of fresh air, listening to the sounds of nature, feeling the wind on your face and feeling the warmth of the sun or an evening mist on your skin, is restorative,” said Dr. Owens. “You don’t have to make it complicated by getting in a car and driving to a natural area.”
Prescription: Nature
“We’ve been telling patients, especially since Covid when so many people are trapped in the house, that when work is really stressful, just getting away from your laptop even for half an hour or 15 minutes to go outside and take a walk will make you feel so much better,” said Dr. Brophy.
Although being in sunlight allows for the absorption of Vitamin D and keeps serotonin levels up, the benefits of spending time outdoors isn’t limited to daylight hours. “I enjoy taking my dog for a walk in the evening,” said Brophy. “I enjoy seeing the stars and the moon, and hearing wildlife—we are so fortunate to live in Calvert County where we can still see the stars at night.”
“Work hours or a busy schedule
shouldn’t prohibit people from spending
time outdoors,” said Dr. Owens.
Mental Wellbeing
As the human species has spent most
of its evolutionary time in nature, we
are wired to be connected to nature
in order to survive. According to the
United Nations Population Division
in 2002, for the first time in human
history, more of the world’s population
now lives in urban instead of rural
areas, and this disconnection from
nature may be having a harmful impact
on our emotional wellbeing, according
to published research.
Psychologists point to the constant
stimulation in urban environments—
and even in our own homes—as
creating attention fatigue. Busy
streets, crowded sidewalks, computers,
cellphones, lights and noise vie for
our attention. Whereas natural
environments are restorative and
provide a refuge from attention fatigue.
In urban areas, our brain is trying
to shut things out—in nature our brain
is trying to draw experiences in.
“It is important to let your brain turn
away from all the chaotic day-to-day
stresses and being out in nature
provides a ‘sense of away’ or a ‘sense of
escape’ for our brains,” said Brophy.
During Covid, Brophy recommended
to patients of young children who were
anxious about not being able to see
their friends that they organize outings
around a campfire where everyone
could socialize at a distance. One of the
more positive things about adjusting to
life during this pandemic was spending
time outdoors in areas that are easier to
social distance, Brophy said.
Physical Wellbeing
As higher levels of hypertension and
greater risks of heart attack can
be traced back to long-term stress,
lowering stress is an important factor
in cardiovascular health. Stress affects
blood pressure, recovery from illnesses
and sleep.
“Nature is absolutely essential to
human health. Cognitive benefits are
seen, blood pressure improves and so
does pulse,” according to Dr. Nooshin
Razani, director of Center for Nature
and Health. In nature, your senses
awaken, your attention resets and you
are better able to respond to stress.
According to Drs. Brophy and
Owens, people can benefit physically
and mentally by spending time in
nature—day or night, alone or with
friends, in your backyard or in a park.
For a listing of natural areas in
Calvert County, visit
choosecalvert.com.