How Green Spaces Improve Our Mental Health
And how fractal shapes in our natural environment may contribute
There is something refreshing about a walk in the park. During the winter, nothing feels better than walking through a snowy forest scape. Cardinals and bluejays hop from branch to branch. Squirrels scurry up and down trees. Even when its cold or windy, an hour of walking is just what I need to feel recharged. It is a fantastic way to break up the monotony of studying or working from home. Going for a walk unlocks a cornucopia of positive stress-relieving effects.
One study measured the stress hormone cortisol in people’s saliva. Remarkably, researchers reported decreased cortisol levels in people that lived closer to green-spaces. The presence of green-spaces alone reduced our body’s stress levels. In Wisconsinm green-spaces associated with decreased levels of depression, anxiety and stress symptoms. The authors also found that living near green-spaces associated with fewer symptoms and prevalence of these disorders. People moving from urbanized to greener areas showed improvements across mental health measures. It is clear that the great outdoors reduces our levels of stress and improves mental health. But the question still remains, why?
