There’s a very important reason why we enjoy taking walks near the ocean. It’s not just a romantic getaway or a fun time at the beach that makes it so exciting. New research published in this month’s issue of Health & Place, conducted a study that connected positive mental health with having a view of nature.
Living in natural spaces is the way humans are supposed to exist on this planet, although some may find this obvious. We can change the state of this planet when we are able to live in harmony with it, coexist with it, and build homes that don't interfere with its natural processes. Paving cement over the rich vegetation of the planet is illogical.
Researchers from Michigan State University and the University of Canterbury in New Zealand examined the distinctions between blue and green spaces. Large bodies of water, such as beaches, are considered to be part of blue spaces. Parks and forests are examples of green spaces.
This information was gathered to assess anxiety and mood disorders. They took into account factors like age and gender to eventually find a correlation between people who had a view of nature and positive mental health. The study is interesting, because the blue spaces did much better then green because many of our green spaces are in cities and have concrete structures entangled within them. The green space does not have the same effect on your brain when it is full of man made structures.
To be completely surrounded in a forest or by the sea with out any man-made objects has a drastically positive effect on our mental wellbeing. We are not designed to sit in a computer chair for hours at a time in concrete buildings, we are built to move and live and close knit communities that are all connected.
This information from the study can help give us better insight on designing cities and incorporating nature into our man-made world. Fundamentally, we need to change the design of society to completely shift how we interact with the world and each other.
We should be able to exist in harmony with the planet and live sustainably without destroying it. It seems quite simple but this system has things like the oil, gas and large industries as a priority.
If you are able, go out and explore the beautiful world of nature. Stop by a park if you live in the city, go buy some plants to put around your house, and bring nature into your life. They purify the air and make you feel good to be in the space you’re in.