The Great Outdoors: An Under Prescribed Solution for a Better Mood

As adults, we have all heard it before: “spend time outside – doctor’s orders!” Parents say this phrase to their kids when they are in a bad mood, “get outside and take a walk.” We have a lot of antidotal evidence that suggests being outside and with nature can boost our mood. But is there science behind the great outdoors and it’s positive impact on mental health?

Turns out, the answer is yes. Research supports spending time in nature as a type of therapeutic intervention for depression and anxiety and it even has a name – ecotherapy.  Ecotherapy, also known as nature therapy or green therapy, is the applied practice of ecopsychology. Ecotherapy is rooted in the idea that people are connected to and impacted by sights and sounds of our natural environment.

Several studies have demonstrated the positive effect of nature on both physical and mental health for children and adults across the lifespan. For example, children who have been diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), show fewer disruptive symptoms after spending time in a green space than if they spend time indoors. In adults, a significant reduction in depressive symptoms have been shown in participants who have gone on a nature walk, while those who took a walk in an indoor shopping center saw no such decline.

Scientists still don’t completely understand why outdoor excursions have such a positive mental effect. But some recent research suggests some possible reasons why. One such study compared the brain activity of healthy people after they walked for 90 minutes in either a natural setting or an urban one. They found that those who did the nature walk showed lower activity in the prefrontal cortex, the brain region that lights up with negative thinking. Another reason stems from research that shown that calming nature sounds or even outdoor silence can lower blood pressure and the stress hormone cortisol. Finally, the benefits of sunlight and Vitamin D might be primary contributors. Exposure to sunlight increases the brain’s utilization of serotonin, which is a hormone associated with boosting mood and feeling calm.

This 2020 CoVid-19 pandemic has had a unique impact on Americans’ opinion of nature. A recent study found that 58% of respondents appreciate nature more now than they did before the pandemic. Further, 75% of respondents report an improvement in their mood after spending time outside. These statistics lend further support to the positive relationship between nature and mood and add to the mounting evidence for prescribing outdoor time as a mental health intervention. Even better, this resource is right outside our front door. Taking a walk, reading in the grass, going for a picnic – all of these activities count as spending time with elements of nature. So, when will you fit in your mental health appointment with nature today?