Now I’m on the internet a lot, like a lot.
But could all this staying inside be making me sick?
Hey guys, Julia here for DNews
In 1984 biologist E.O.
Wilson first put forth the idea that humans crave nature in his book “BioPhilia”.
Biophilia means love of life or living systems.
He argues that humans instinctively are attracted to living things.
And when we’re devoid of contact with nature, there’s a discord in our lives.
We might suffer in our mood and in our health.
Some call this lack of living things, Nature Deficit Disorder.
Sounds like a load of hogwash right?
Well there might be something to it.
The term was first coined in 2005 by writer Richard Louv in his book, “Last Child in
the Woods.”
The idea is that kids might be getting what we call ADHD because they spend too much time
inside.
Kids get loads of benefits from being outside.
Like one big study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found
that after spending time outside, kids attention and memory improved.
Other studies show that by playing outside, kids get a boost in their immune systems.
And even if you’re not a kid, spending time in green spaces is really good for you too.
Another study also published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,
found that walking outside in a natural area for 90 minutes is better for you than walking
outside in an urban area.
While yeah, walking anywhere for 90 minutes is good for you, their researchers found specific
changes in the brain when people went on more natural walks.
They found decreased activity in the subgenual prefrontal cortex.
This area is known to become particularly active during rumination or when negative
thoughts keep playing on loop in your head.
So spending time in nature might help us be better at emotional regulation and could lift
the mood in those who suffer from stress, anxiety or depression.
And the University of Essex in England thinks so too.
They’ve been studying the benefits of what they call “green exercise” or exercise
in nature for over 12 years.
One study published in the journal Environmental Science and Technology found that green exercise
improves self-esteem and mood.
Another study published in the same journal found that maybe the color of nature has a
lot to do with it.
The researchers were curious about the idea that “green exercise” is better for you
than working out in a gym.
So they designed an experiment where a few cyclists watch nature videos that were either
hued, red, green or achromatic.
They found that their participants reported lower total mood disturbance and ratings of
perceived exertion when watching the green videos.
But maybe it’s more than the color, maybe it’s the smells.
Natural floral smells like lavender have been shown to reduce stress, anxiety and depression.
Not to mention that going outside gets you a burst of Vitamin D. Low levels of the stuff
have been linked to low mood and depression according to a study published in the journal
Mayo Clinic Proceedings.
Experts recommend that people with fair skin only need a few minutes of sunlight a day,
while those with darker skin might need more like 15-20 minutes per day.
So, go outside, stop and smell the roses, look at some green things, and soak in some
summer sun.
Speaking of summer!
Have you checked out our summer fun playlist?
We’ve got great videos like, can camping cure insomnia or the science of Barbecue!
Check it out.
For those of you on mobile, there’s a link in the description.
So, when was the last time you frolicked in nature?
Or are you a stay inside and stay on your laptop kind of person?
Let us know down in the comments below.
Hit those like and subscribe buttons so you don’t miss a single DNews Episode.
so excuse me, I’m going to go play outside, but I’ll see you right here, next time on
DNews.