“Nature Deficient Disorder” is a new, non-traditional medical condition that can easily be treated by venturing outside and mindfully enjoying the environment. “Forest bathing” is a cure.
Conventional medical practice focused on diagnosis, treatment, therapy and prognosis for common diseases—depression, anxiety, hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, and others—can be greatly assisted by an outside walk according to Nature and Human Health: evidence and action.
Blue Zones Project (BZP) Senior Manager for Strategic Partnerships and Initiatives in Hawaii, Colby Takeda, shared some of the evidence relevant to BZP’s forest bathing program but more generally about built environment and downshifting. Hawaii, a BZP state since 2015, is perpetually the healthiest state in the nation, a fact recently reaffirmed by the Sharecare Community Well-Being Index.
Chronic stress, anxiety, loneliness, and exhaustion along with the increased use of anti-depressants have all be exacerbated by the ongoing pandemic. Heart disease is the number one cause of death with about 610,000 Americans dying each year. Hypertension affects 75 million Americans, and diabetes is also rampant. Indicated traditional therapies can be aided by increased activity, particularly in an outdoor environment.
Environmental psychology, a relatively new field, is the intersection of nature, biology, outdoor environments, and human health. Objective published studies demonstrate that reconnecting with nature, for example partaking in outside activities in a bucolic neighborhood, is therapeutic for chronic stress, exhaustion, loneliness, and some medical conditions. Although cause-and-effect has not been proven and double-blind experiments are impossible to do, many correlations and some natural experiments over time confirm the beneficial effects of appreciating an outdoor hospitable environment.
- Mothers with 10% more urban tree canopies within fifty meters of home have fewer low birth weight babies.
- Lower diabetes rates, better body mass index metrics, and improved sleep as well as cleaner air are all associated with homes within 1,500 meters of walkable vegetated areas.
- In nursing home residents, an inverse relationship exists between depressive symptoms and access to tree covered areas.
One physiological experiment on stress recovery showed that experiencing a nearby nature environment for twenty to thirty minutes a day decreased salivary cortisol levels 21% (a measure of stress) and improved overall health.
Forrest bathing—becoming more popular, recognized now as therapeutic, and coincidentally enjoyable—was first practiced in Japan in the 1950s in response to high rates of depression and suicide. Patients were taken to the country and encouraged to use their senses to breath in the new surroundings. Guides were formally trained in forest bathing, best practices were shared, and others were invited to enjoy the experience.
Being in the moment, the principle of mindfulness, added to traditional therapies produced better outcomes. Decreased blood pressure, lower pulse, and better nervous system function were observed to last for a few days after the experience. The immune system’s natural killer cells were also activated.
Consider taking a short walk without checking a phone—look up at the sky particularly during sunrise and sunset, take in nature through the senses, hear the rustle of leaves, search for running water, touch a rock, feel the texture of a tree, observe birds fluttering by, and watch small animals such as squirrels scurrying about chasing each other. Even in an urban area, going outside is better than getting stuck inside. Take slow deep breaths, walk with a friend, hold hands, discuss pleasant topics and nice memories—these actions will decrease stress and help you live a longer, happier, and healthier life.
