Back to nature

<p>Did you know, nature can be advantageous for our emotional health and well-being? </p> <p>For example, when healthy adults view nature scenes rich in vegetation, areas of the brain associated with emotional stability, empathy, and love are more active. </p> <p>These same pathways are activated when a person looks at pictures of a loved one … These findings support previous investigations showing that nature scenes can enhance brain-wave activity in ways that are similar to the benefits of meditation.”</p> <p>According to the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biophilia_hypothesis" target="_blank">biophilia hypothesis</a>, attempts to explain the associations between increased rates of mental illness among individuals who live in cities. People who live in or close to natural settings have better mental health.</p> <p>A longitudinal study from over 5,000 households, found that over a five-year period, individuals who had moved to greener areas displayed improved mental well-being for at least a three-year period. In fact, those who had moved to cities reported a decline in their mental well-being,</p> <p>But you don’t have to pack up and move to the countryside to experience some of nature’s benefits — you could just take a long walk in nature. </p> <p><a href="https://mentalhealthtraining.info/mental-health/nature" target="_blank">Learn more</a></p>