Bottom line, exposure to nature is good for health, lack of exposure to nature is bad for health. If you can’t get out, looking at images of nature can be beneficial.
With increasing urbanisation, maintaining a connection with nature becomes more challenging. Photo: © Donald J. Rommes.
With more and more of us living in cities, our access to nature has decreased. The relative lack of time spent in natural environments has been shown to have a negative impact on our physical and mental health. That is true for all of us, but it may be particularly relevant for children.
With increasing urbanization, children have been spending more time indoors. That has gotten much worse with the pandemic and the stay-at-home orders. Many families are noticing a regression in their children’s behavior and socialization as pointed out in a recent article in the New York Times.
This is not new. In 2005, Richard Louv coined the term Nature-Deficit Disorder to describe the negative effects on children of diminishing access to nature. Subsequent research has confirmed his thesis and the term has been more broadly applied to all age groups.
You don't have to get deep into the woods to connect with nature. These calla lilies are bordering a man-made pond in a garden. Photo: © Donald J. Rommes.
It has been clear for more than a decade that exposure to nature has abundant mental and physical benefits. Moreover, it is now known that even looking at images of nature has similar benefits. More recent research has helped us understand that the physiologic basis for this is mediated subconsciously via the autonomic nervous system.
Bottom line, exposure to nature is good for health, lack of exposure is bad for health. If you can’t get out, looking at images of nature can be beneficial.
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