Why is spending time in nature important?

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Spending time in nature is important for a variety of reasons as outlined by :

  1. Health Benefits: Studies show significant reductions in blood pressure, resting heart rate, improvements in sleep, improvements in mood, and overall enhancements in mental and physical health when people spend time in nature for about 10 to 30 minutes, several days a week 1.

  2. Unstructured Experience: The specific elements of being in nature, such as wildlife sightings, sounds of a stream, sunlight, and fresh air contribute to a gestalt experience that can't be fully replicated in a laboratory setting. This gestalt, or overall picture, of being outdoors includes many elements that together delight and improve our state of being 1.

  3. Visual and Auditory Beauty: Nature is not just visually striking but also audibly soothing. Regular walks or time spent in natural settings can have cumulative effects on well-being 2.

  4. Sunlight Exposure: Getting sunlight in your eyes early in the day significantly improves mood, focus, alertness, and nighttime sleep, and this requires being outdoors as sunlight through windows or screens does not offer the same benefits 3.

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  5. Improved Eye Health: For instance, spending time outdoors is linked to reducing the probability of myopia (nearsightedness) development because natural light promotes the health of the eye's focusing mechanism 4.

  6. Childhood Development: Unstructured playtime in nature is crucial for children's mental health and development. It helps them learn negotiation, conflict resolution, and collaboration. Engaging in real-world interactions is also beneficial for nervous system development 5.

advocates for the value of nature for our well-being and encourages people to spend time in natural environments as much and as safely as possible. While scientific methods may struggle to isolate specific variables that make nature beneficial, the overall influence of natural elements on health and mood is significant and evident 6 2.

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