Jun 19, 2008 3:47 pm US/Eastern
'Eco-Therapy': Go Outside And Feel Better
BOSTON (WBZ) ―
You heard it from your mother when you were growing up -- go outside and play. It turns out that that was pretty good advice. Research is showing that being outdoors can have benefits for both your physical and mental health.
Mother Cheri Albright claimed that she "feels more relaxed and wants to do more things and run around the kids" when she is out in the fresh air. Research supports this sense of feeling better outdoors by showing that being with nature truly has a positive impact on the way we feel. Researchers actually see the body and mind act differently in nature than they do in urban societies.
Using nature to improve our mood has become known as "eco-therapy" and getting positive benefits can be easier than you probably think. Something as simple as walking can be mood altering. Dr. Kathleen Hall of The Stress Institute suggests "walking, get your family to walk every night at the same time. Over 70 percent of people report that they have significantly decreased symptoms of depression when they're out in nature and 88 percent of people say that their moods change immediately just after they begin to walk."
If you can't actually get out and immerse yourself in nature, pictures may be able to help. Hall suggested putting "photos in your office, at home, by your bed. Keep a picture of where you love to be. What we know is the brain identifies with that and it immediately feels better."
Add a fish tank or a nature sounding machine to your room. The point is to allow your senses to take over. Experts say that it is the connection to they rhythm of nature that makes the difference. As Hall noted, "There's a lot of a sensory stimulation. Think of all of your senses—the smell of jasmine, the colors of the blue sky, fresh air, wind hitting your face."
Cheri says that it works for her and so she spends all the time outside that she can, "I definitely have more energy and more bounce."
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