How does engaging with the outdoors help out mental state?
There is nothing like a soft breeze, carrying the scent of pine, tickling your face as you look out at a spectacular sight that takes your breath away, whether it be a lake, a mountain, a field of flowers, a forest of pine trees, a grove of willows, the face of a rock wall— and have only the sound of a bubbling stream, bird calls, water lapping up against the shore, and wind whistling through the trees, in your ears. It is times like these that the mind feels renewed and refreshed. The earthly burdens of the bustling world we live in, left far behind in the constant cacophony of noise. And you just feel better, you feel like yourself again.
“...when you get into a more natural environment, there is less, overwhelming stimuli, and it has been found, that your mind is instantly pleased and happier.”
I am speaking from experience here. I never feel quite as settled as I do when I am surrounded by nature instead of buildings. I never feel quite as light and weightless as opposed to the deep heaviness I feel when buildings, noise, and responsibilities weigh me down. I think a lot about a hard winter for me a year ago, when, due to physical health reasons, I wasn’t able to enjoy the outdoors because my body couldn’t handle the strain. And with that decline of exposure to the outdoors, came the decline of my mental health. So what is the connection between mental health and the outdoors? What about it helps the mind?
I looked a bit into this and found the article, “The Great Outdoors? Exploring the Mental Health Benefits of Natural Environments” by David G. Pearson and Tony Craig. The article introduces the idea that being out in nature or even just watching a video of it, has calming, stress relieving qualities and overall is beneficial to one’s mental health. It talks about how there is a difference between urban and natural places and what they do to our cognitive thinking. When trapped in an urban place, there is so much stimulus around you that it takes focus to ignore all of it, therefore exhausting your mind. On the flip side, when you get into a more natural environment, there is less, overwhelming stimuli, and it has been found, that your mind is instantly pleased and happier. It is because of that effect, that natural places can be seen as restorative. The fact that this is not just how someone feels, but is their actual physical and mental response is something I didn’t know and has added a whole new depth for me in this topic.
“God ingrained in us, His creation, to be drawn to the other wondrous things he created.”
I highly agree with what this article is saying probably because I have lived this response. I think a big part of why I can connect with this article so when is because I grew up in a beautiful and natural place. You see, I grew up in South Lake Tahoe, one of the top destination to see in the world, home of one of the most photographed places, Emerald Bay. I grew up playing in the forest and swimming in the river by my house. I grew up skiing in the winter, and hiking in the summer. In Tahoe, the only way you will not see a tree is if you close your eyes. What I didn’t grow up with was the loud noise of bottled up cars, the smell of gasoline, the smog that covers the stars, the constant flurry of movement. I can feel the weight of cities press in on me every time I step a toe into them because I am not used to them, I never had to get used to them. Maybe some would think differently of this article had they grown up in a city and had loved it as much as I loved Tahoe. Though, in my opinion it is impossible to not fall in love with nature, I don’t doubt that there are some who may find restoration in the hustle of noises and cars. Or the glinting of the sun against those towers that scape the skies. Yet, if this study is scientifically proven and people really do feel an immediate pleasure in the outdoors, what a wonder that it. God ingrained in us, His creation, to be drawn to the other wondrous things he created.
With the idea that God ingrained in us to take pleasure in His creation and make us notice His power and glory in it, makes me wonder about how I see nature myself. For too long, I think I have relied on being out in nature to connect with God. It was a great way for me to understand a piece about Him and to see His glory on display. However, being able to get outside was taken from me when my health degraded. And with my health at a decline, so did my relationship with God. I couldn’t get out and play in the outdoors and therefore my time with God was cut short, very short. I lost the desire to continue in my relationship with Him. I think there is a beauty in being able to see God in the outdoors, but what truly is beautiful, is the strength and faith to continue to see God in even the lowest parts of your life. So yes, God created us to see the rest of His creation with pleasure and thankfulness, and I hope I never stop seeing that in nature, but I also hope that I will be able to go deeper into my relationship with Him beyond just what I see on the surface in nature.
So when stress threatens to overwhelm me or I want nothing more than to lay in bed and not face the world, I will first turn to God in prayer, and then I’ll get outside to let the fresh air, the rustle of pine needles, the calls of birds, remind me who in control and let peace overtake me.