The Importance of Green Space
You’ve had a disappointing day, it feels like the world is against you and then you wander into the forest. It’s only then that you know everything is going to be okay. As you walk in further, your lungs instinctively react to breathe in fresh air. The overarching trees hug you tight and your body relaxes, your blood pressure drops and serotonin is released into your brain. In these few seconds, all problems are forgotten, you are in the moment, at one with nature and this feeling stays with you throughout the rest of the day.
The uplifting feelings we get from trees are all benefits of Green Space. You may have heard about the importance of Green Space and how people living in cities rely on their parks and suburban green areas to support their mental wellbeing. Being around green areas helps with psychological restoration by acting as a respite for our over stimulated minds. In today’s society, we are beginning to understand more about Green Space and its importance in daily lives.
More than 50% of people live in urban areas, so what does this mean for our psychological health? By 2050, it is expected to rise to a population 70% in cities. Urbanisation is associated with increased levels of mental illness, but it is not yet clear why. In a study about the relationship between nature and mental health, published in 2015, it showed in healthy participants that a brief nature experience, such as a 90-min walk in a natural setting, decreases both self-reported rumination (overthinking) and offers behaviour regulation (promoting calm behaviour). Whereas a 90-min walk in an urban setting has no such effects on neural activity.
As science begins to understand the importance of Green Space, Doctors are beginning to base their patient’s recovery around nature and exposure to green activities. For example, Doctors in Shetland, Scotland, have began prescribing nature to their patients in order to reduce blood pressure, anxiety and increase happiness for those with diabetes, mental illness, stress and heart disease. These Doctors recommend 90 minutes of your day outside in a wooded area to produce a decrease in the part of your brain typically associated with depression.
Even modest experiences outside have benefits. For example, three to five minutes spent looking at views dominated by trees, flowers or water can begin to reduce anger, anxiety and pain and induce relaxation, according to various studies of healthy people.
The science tells us that ultimately, spending time interacting with nature in a well-designed garden won’t cure cancer or heal a badly burned leg. But there is good evidence from Roger Ulrich’s studies to show it can psychologically reduce pain levels and the amount of medication needed to cope with it.
As mounting evidence suggests that Green Space is important to our psychological health, we look toward trees for the answer. As well as offering carbon capture, trees are an important factor in the balancing and function of people’s mental health in modern day society. So if you ever feeling a little blue, head out to the woods for some green healing.