The ongoing pandemic has been tough on everyone, anxiety levels of many people are up, as they are stressed over their future, financials, health, and family. During this extraordinary time, nature around the home may play a key role against adverse mental health outcomes, according to the study, published in the journal Ecological Applications.
Nature is the ultimate healer, a small flower brings a smile to our face, and we forget our worries for a moment. It is said that green color has a calming effect on our minds. More frequent green space use and the existence of green window views from the home were associated with increased levels of self-esteem, life satisfaction, and subjective happiness, as well as decreased levels of depression and loneliness.
Ecotherapy is a type of formal treatment that involves doing activities outside in nature, and this therapy has proved beneficial for people who are often depressed. As per a study, many people think that they can just snap out of their depression, but it’s a clinical issue that needs to be treated and nature is something that can help them in coping with depression.
Researchers have said that nature around one's home may help mitigate some of the negative mental health effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. "Our results suggest that nearby nature can serve as a buffer in decreasing the adverse impacts of a very stressful event on humans," said study lead author Masashi Soga of The University of Tokyo.
"Protecting natural environments in urban areas is important not only for the conservation of biodiversity but also for the protection of human health," Soga added, With the recent escalation in the prevalence of mental health disorders and the possible negative impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on public mental health, the findings suggest that urban nature has great potential to be used as a "nature-based solution" for improved public health.
Nature helps in reducing stress, fatigue, and many psychological problems, and people who are affected by mental health illness are recommended by psychologists to spend some time in nature as it helps in the generation of Serotonin, the happiness hormones in the body.
