Źródło: u/nokanjaijo dla /r/SASSWitches
It’s great that so many people use r/happyandhealthy as a source for science-backed self-improvement news, and I plan to continue posting three articles a day for the foreseeable future. However, I’d also like to organize the information here a bit more moving forward, so you don’t have to search through nearly two years worth of posts to find information. Periodically, I’d like to sum up everything the subreddit knows about a particular topic in a single post, like this one.
Nature exposure, aka forest bathing has a number of psychological benefits, including improved relaxation focus, mood, body image, and reaction to stress, lowered risk of mental illnesses such as anxiety and depression, faster healing, and reduced pain. There doesn’t seem to be any downside, so long as reasonable precautions are taken–i.e. wear sunscreen and bug repellent, avoid dangerous plants and animals, and watch your step.
And honestly, this isn’t even all the studies I could find on the subject. I just had to stop sooner or later because otherwise I might be working on this post for another month. I’ll update it again someday with even more, but for now, here’s what I have.
- https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2018.0298 - RCT - n = 342 - Participants living near vacant lots turned into green space reported depression decreasing by 41.5%, and poor mental health decreasing by 62.8%
- https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-012-2318-8 - intervention - n = 29 - Autonomic nervous system control increased as participants viewed images of nature, but mean heart rate and blood pressure were not significantly altered
- https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-019-00118-6 - meta-analysis - n = 4758, 11638 - Individuals who are more connected with nature have higher levels of self-reported personal growth, an aspect of eudaimonic well-being
- http://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2018.06.002 - intervention - n = 36 - Participants who watched a three-minute film of a natural scene showed an immediate increase in body satisfaction compared to a three-minute video of the city
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2017.12.006 - intervention - n = 124, 106, 43, 163, 102 - Participants who viewed photographs of nature experienced a greater immediate increase in body satisfaction over those who viewed photographs of the city, though effects are small. Participants who spent time in nature experienced a larger effect, but the presence of other people seems to diminish the effect
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2018.10.002 - correlation - n = 3599 - People who commute through outdoor spaces with “green” and/or “blue” natural elements report better mental health. The quality of the natural enviroments does not seem to matter, but the association was stronger in those who walked or cycled
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2013.08.003 - RCT - n = 120 - Patients recovering from surgery who listened to recorded sounds of nature experienced lower anxiety and agitation compared to the control group
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2007.10.008 - intervention - n = 90 - Participants looking through a glass window at a nature scene experienced a reduction in stress and lowered heart rate, while those looking at the same scene through HDTV experienced no more benefit than those who just looked at a blank wall
- https://doi.org/10.1021/es903183r - meta-analysis - n = 1252 - Exercising in green spaces linked with improvements in self-esteem and mood, presence of water generated greater effects
- https://doi.org/10.1037/emo0000442 - correlation - n = 124, 119 - Participants who experienced being in awe of nature experienced greater satisfaction the same day, and increased well-being a week later–including a 29% reduction in PTSD symptoms, a 21% increase in stress, a 10% improvement in social relationships, a 9% improvement in life satisfaction, and an 8% increase in happiness
- http://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-44097-3 - correlation - n = 19,806 - Participants who spent more time in nature reported higher health and wellbeing, with those who spent more than 120 minutes per week showing significantly higher gains, peaking between 200-300 minutes per week. The results were consistent across both rural and urban areas, and all ages, genders, and social status, and even whether the total time spent in nature was all in one chunk, or spread out throughout the week
- https://doi.org/10.1038/srep45273 - intervention - n = 17 - Participants who listened to natural sounds during tasks had greater engagement, less mind-wandering, faster reactions, and improved heart rate
- https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1719866115 - correlation - n = 40 - People who grow up in rural areas handle stress better than those who grow up in urban areas, though it’s not clear if the effect is due to the rural area or exposure to animals
- https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2018.1557242 - intervention - n = 123, 70 - Participants who sat in a park for just five minutes showed significant increases in positive emotions compared to control group, but participants who sat in the park for fifteen minutes did not seem to benefit significantly more than those who sat for five minutes
- https://doi.org/10.1080/23748834.2019.1619893 - intervention - n = 95 - Participants aged over 65 wore EEG headsets while walking through urban the city, showing increased relaxation and attention while walking through green areas
- http://doi.org/10.1089/eco.2014.0028 - RCT - n = 133 - Participants who listened to nature sounds after an unpleasant experience reported a full mood recovery, compared to no change from control group
- https://doi.org/10.1108/JPMH-02-2018-0018 - intervention - n = 273 - Participants who engaged with nature every day for a month experienced sustained and significant increases in nature connection, health, happiness, and conservation behaviors
- https://doi.org/10.1126/science.6143402 - correlation - n = 46 - Surgical patients assigned to rooms with windows looking out onto nature had shorter postoperative hospital stays and experienced less pain than similar patients with windows facing a brick wall
- https://doi.org/10.1177/0013916506298797 - intervention - n = 210 - Nature posters were found to decrease state anger and stress in men, but not in women
- https://doi.org/10.1177/0013916508319745 - RCT - n = 76, 92, 64 - Exposure to nature increased connectedness to nature, attentional capacity, positive emotions, and ability to reflect on a life problem–effects were greater for actual nature than for virtual nature (videos of nature)
- https://doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1408215 - correlation - n = 2111 - Longer time spent in green spaces and beaches associated with fewer emotional problems, peer relationship problems, focus and attention problems, greater prosocial behavior in children
- https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP1876 - correlation - n = 253 - 3D MRI scans show more brain development in children raised near green spaces, plus the children performed better on tests of working memory and attentiveness
- https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP2875 - correlation - n = 6506 - Participants living near green areas experienced less cognitive decline over a ten year period
- https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP694 - correlation - n = 888 - Children raised near green areas performed better on tests of attention
- https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.1.3135.7206 - correlation - n = 775 - Children who were more connected to nature had higher English attainment, health, life satisfaction, pro-environmental behaviors, and pro-nature behaviors
- https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0149777 - correlation & intervention - n = 2305, 344, 269, 126 - Participants who engaged with nature every day for a month experienced sustained increases in happiness, health, connection to nature, and pro-nature behaviors
- http://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0207057 - correlation - n = 493 - Children who had a closer connection with nature displayed less distress, hyperactivity, fewer behavioral and emotional difficulties, and great prosocial behavior
- https://doi.org/10.1378/chest.123.3.941 - RCT - Patients who viewed murals of nature scenes and listened to recorded sounds of nature before, during, and after a medical procedure experienced significantly less pain than the control group, but no less anxiety
- https://doi.org/10.21273/HORTSCI.43.1.183 - correlation - n = 449 - Men with live plants in their office space reported higher job satisfaction, but the effect was not seen in women
- https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01500 - correlation & intervention - n = 308 - Participants who engaged with nature every day for a month experienced increases in nature connection, happiness, health, and conservation behaviors
- https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00722 - intervention - n = 36 - Participants who spent time in an outdoor green space experienced more than a 20% drop ins stress, with a “dose” of 20-30 minutes judged to be most efficient
- https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph10094086 - correlation - n = 106 - Living near green spaces is associated with lower levels of stress
- https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16183373 - RCT - n = 582 - Participants who were prompted by a smartphone app to take notice of good things about urban nature experienced improvements in wellbeing
- https://doi.org/10.7721/chilyoutenvi.27.2.0093 - intervention - n = 54 - Mothers and daughters who walked in nature had more positive interactions, got along better, and the mothers had more attention than prior to the walk