Stress reduction and the natural world

There are many ways to reduce stress, and taking a holistic approach means using a range of these approaches. One approach that has been demonstrated to work is spending some time in nature. 

This isn't to say that getting into nature removes the need for other approaches - that would not be holistic. But being and doing things in natural environments should be one of the anti-stress tools in your toolkit.

Research in this area often makes use of both biomarkers, such as cortisol and amylase levels, in conjunction with psychological measures of subjective experience of stress. 

Studies typically compare people engaging in activities in nature compared to a control, which might be a similar activity in a different environment, being outdoors but in an urban environment or engaging in exercise inside. Studies such as Wert et al (2018) have demonstrated the increased stress reduction effects of nature-based activity.

The amount of time spent in nature does not have to be great to gain benefits, however White et al (2019) suggest that there is a threshold, and that the weekly exposure to nature needs to add up to at least two hours to be beneficial. 

However, Hunter et al (2019) found that just 20 to 30 minutes three times a week is enough to bring benefits. 

So, how does this work? Several theories have been put forward that are as follows:

Stress reduction theory (Ulrich, 1983) suggests that it is the positive emotional response to nature that causes a person to reduce the level of stress they experience. That positive affective response to nature is helping a reset of the stress registering system, and this reduction in stress then leads to improvements in attention and in cognitive performance.

Attention restoration theory (Kaplan, 1989, 1995) states that the urban environment produces stress and fatigue which can be corrected by being in nature where the perceptual experience is different, and allows the mind to wander and to relax.

It is not only the urban environment that can be detrimental - people are spending more and more time engaged with their phones and devices. This may be having a detrimental effect on stress, sleep and mental health (Thomee, 2011). 

Getting out and about in the natural world and switching our phones off could be a good way to restore the brain to healthier functioning. Walking around midday in sunlight can help to improve sleep.

So, what can you do?

1. Find a local park and go for a walk or run there two or three times a week.
2. Find a local cycleway and go for a ride
3. Visit local woodlands and just experience being among the trees - try some mindfulness, leaving the podcasts behind and just listening to natural sounds
4. Take a drive to the nearest stunning landscape and admire the view
5. If you have a garden, develop a wildlife section and also start growing your own fruit and veg
6. Join a ramblers group
7. See if you enjoy bird watching
8. Try fishing
9. Learn the names of different trees and flowers and go out looking for them
10. Get involved in wildlife conservation projects

References

Ewert A, Chang Y. Levels of Nature and Stress Response. Behavioral Sciences. 2018; 8(5):49.

Hunter MR, Gillespie BW, Chen SY. Urban Nature Experiences Reduce Stress in the Context of Daily Life Based on Salivary Biomarkers. Front Psychol. 2019 Apr 4;10:722. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00722. PMID: 31019479; PMCID: PMC6458297.

Kaplan, R., Kaplan, S. (1989). The Experience of Nature: A Psychological Perspective. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-34139-4.

Kaplan, S. (1995). The restorative benefits of nature: Toward an integrative framework, Journal of Environmental Psychology,15 (3)1995, 169-182.

Thomée, S., Härenstam, A. & Hagberg, M. (2011). Mobile phone use and stress, sleep disturbances, and symptoms of depression among young adults - a prospective cohort study. BMC Public Health 11, 66. 

Ulrich R. S. (1983). Aesthetic and affective response to natural environment. In Altman I., Wohlwill J. F. (Eds.), Behavior and the natural environment (pp. 85–125). New York, NY: Springer.

White, M.P., Alcock, I., Grellier, J. et al. Spending at least 120 minutes a week in nature is associated with good health and wellbeing. Sci Rep 9, 7730 (2019).