"We often forget that we exist as a part of an ecosystem, profoundly impacted by the environments surrounding us. But walk into nature, the land that we co-evolved alongside, and the nervous system will remember-soothed by the tall trees, met with the familiar scent of the earth carried in the breeze, and the lively chirps of birds going about their morning scavenging."
"Stress Reduction Theory (SRT): Roger Ulrich posits that time spent in safe, natural settings creates a sense of calmness by reducing arousal. Time in nature shifts the body into a parasympathetic state, lowering heart rate and blood pressure, reducing muscle tension, and lowering cortisol levels. When we encounter evolutionary cues of a safe and life-sustaining environment, such as seeing plants or hearing water or birdsong, these sensory stimuli signal biological"
Ecopsychology examines how contact with natural environments affects mental health. Walking through different landscapes influences mood, emotional regulation, stress levels, attention, and muscle tension. Mountain hiking boosts energy and confidence and can help people escape rumination. Forest hiking activates the parasympathetic nervous system and lowers cortisol. Hiking near water elevates mood and reduces stress. Stress Reduction Theory explains that safe natural settings lower physiological arousal, decrease heart rate and blood pressure, and reduce muscle tension. Sensory cues such as plants, water, and birdsong signal a life-sustaining environment and promote calming biological responses.
Read at Psychology Today
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]