Musings | The Power of Nature
“A walk in the woods walks the soul back home”
What if I told you I had a life hack that would help you feel better, boost your immune system, improve your memory, help you be creative, drop your heart rate, enhance your focus, fight depression and lower your anxiety.
Want the quick fix that can do all these things? Spend some time outside!
All of the above are, arguably, all things we may seek. Some take more work than others, but spending time outside gives us a head start with all of them. But how? And how much outside time do we need?
Scientists recommend following a nature pyramid. Like a food pyramid, instead of suggesting serving sizes and types of food, the nature pyramid provides guidelines for improving your health by spending time outside. It can be summarized by the 20-5-3 rule outlined below.
20 Minutes - Three Times a Week
The key here, be outside for 20 minutes WITHOUT your cell phone. Go for a walk around your neighborhood, visit a local park or garden, spend time in an urban green space. These 20 minutes can improve your well-being and cognitive function and reduce cortisol levels (the stress hormone), but you need to leave the cell phone behind. If you engage with your phone during your 20 minutes of nature time, you do not get the benefits!
5 Hours a Month
It is recommended that we spend about five hours a month in “wilder” spaces. Don’t worry; this is not the backcountry - this could be a forested area or a provincial park. It seems that the wilder the setting (i.e., a National park versus a city park), the greater the benefit. Being in nature is soothing to our minds and our bodies in unique ways. For example, the sights are different (patterns that vary in size and color), the smells are different (fresh air, trees, flowers), the pace is slower, and the sounds are soothing (less city noise, quiet and nature sounds like running water, waves, wind in the trees and singing birds).
3 Days
Three days a year away off the grid is what is found at the top of the pyramid. Off the grid does not mean roughing it without power and other amenities. The recommendation here is three days in nature, staying at a cabin perhaps or camping - a time when you can be unplugged from technology, closer to nature, and away from the usual day-to-day sights and sounds of your everyday life. The benefits of engaging with the “outside” for a few days in a row can have a lasting impact. Sometimes for weeks after the three days have concluded. The benefits of three days of being unplugged can reset your thinking, boost creativity, calm feelings of burnout and help you feel better overall.
The other elements may be more challenging depending on where you live and the transportation options you have available to you. 20 minutes outside in your neighborhood is probably accessible for most people. The good news is that anytime spent outdoors will be good for you and provide benefits. Experiment with outdoor spaces that bring you joy and peace, and then create your own pyramid that works for you and your life.