In times of stress, nature can be a helpful friend to get you through.
The Environmental Defense Fund recently highlighted this important relationship in its Vital Signs newsletter, which features good news stories, including articles on climate change solutions and actions you can take.
For instance, one Illinois man carried an "emotional support tree" around with him, developing a kinship with it for eight months before planting it on his farm. EDF also highlighted Finland's tree-hugging championship as an example of humans' connection to nature and the Japanese practice of "forest bathing," which it says has been proved to have a positive impact on mental health and anxiety.
Plus, the simple act of walking barefoot can help restore the psyche, according to one study. Doctors across the world are even "prescribing" nature as an alternative to other medical interventions.
"You don't have to be there at a certain time of day and go with a group; you can go on your own and get the mental health benefits," according to Nooshin Razani, a pediatrician and researcher in San Francisco who developed Stay Healthy in Nature Everyday. EDF featured the program, which takes patients and their families to local parks once a month with a doctor and park ranger.
Even better news is that nature can help us in other ways, too. For instance, one study found that living near trees is good for heart health. And a Boston University study showed that people living in greener urban areas experience slower cognitive decline as they age.
Trees can also help us mitigate rising global temperatures since they help reduce the amount of planet-heating carbon in the atmosphere. To that end, there are a number of efforts underway across the globe to increase tree cover. For instance, EDF reported that Tristan Shaw, the man who carried his tree around with him, has raised funds to plant 500 street trees in a nearby town.
"It took me almost two years to get funding for the tree planting, but in many cases, my buddy tree got the conversations going to make it happen," he told the organization. "If we want all the health benefits nature brings us, we have to take care of it."
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