1 00:00:04,440 --> 00:00:09,280 Speaker 1: Hello everybody, and welcome back to the Psychology of Your Twenties, 2 00:00:09,920 --> 00:00:12,280 Speaker 1: the podcast where we talk through some of the big 3 00:00:12,520 --> 00:00:16,880 Speaker 1: life changes and transitions of our twenties and what they 4 00:00:16,960 --> 00:00:26,560 Speaker 1: mean for our psychology. Hello everybody, Welcome back to the show. 5 00:00:26,720 --> 00:00:30,760 Speaker 1: Welcome back to the podcast. New listeners, old listeners. Wherever 6 00:00:30,800 --> 00:00:33,159 Speaker 1: you are in the world, you know the deal. Welcome 7 00:00:33,159 --> 00:00:37,360 Speaker 1: back for another episode. Today, we are going to take 8 00:00:37,479 --> 00:00:40,840 Speaker 1: a deep look into what psychology has to say about 9 00:00:40,840 --> 00:00:45,360 Speaker 1: the healing power of nature. Nature, the outdoors, time spent 10 00:00:45,400 --> 00:00:49,040 Speaker 1: by the beach, ingreenery, the forest. They are such an 11 00:00:49,080 --> 00:00:53,600 Speaker 1: incredibly profound sense of joy and peace for so many 12 00:00:53,640 --> 00:00:57,800 Speaker 1: good reasons. It relieves stress, It allows us to step 13 00:00:57,840 --> 00:01:02,680 Speaker 1: away from our monotonous routines. It actively rewires our brain 14 00:01:02,800 --> 00:01:06,680 Speaker 1: in such a positive way, and the research and benefits 15 00:01:06,760 --> 00:01:09,720 Speaker 1: are honestly endless, and we're going to talk about all 16 00:01:09,760 --> 00:01:13,200 Speaker 1: of them because I think it is so profound, and 17 00:01:13,440 --> 00:01:16,280 Speaker 1: the impact that nature can have on our psychological well 18 00:01:16,319 --> 00:01:21,640 Speaker 1: being does not get the recognition it deserves. However, as 19 00:01:21,680 --> 00:01:25,080 Speaker 1: a generation, I think we have become more and more 20 00:01:25,160 --> 00:01:29,679 Speaker 1: detached from this natural urge and instinct, from our drive 21 00:01:29,800 --> 00:01:34,479 Speaker 1: towards kind of the wilderness. Technology and social media in particular, 22 00:01:35,160 --> 00:01:38,800 Speaker 1: consume so much of our time. We are spending more 23 00:01:38,840 --> 00:01:42,720 Speaker 1: time indoors than any other generation, most of us living 24 00:01:42,800 --> 00:01:46,679 Speaker 1: in huge cities, and we've become very severed from this 25 00:01:46,800 --> 00:01:49,440 Speaker 1: innate need. I've even noticed that in my own life. 26 00:01:49,560 --> 00:01:51,480 Speaker 1: You know, there are so many days that I just 27 00:01:51,720 --> 00:01:55,200 Speaker 1: don't go outdoors, and that makes me feel so stagnant 28 00:01:55,240 --> 00:01:59,440 Speaker 1: and unhealthy and just really detached from what I know. 29 00:01:59,520 --> 00:02:03,800 Speaker 1: My brain needs this like very deep need, and the 30 00:02:03,840 --> 00:02:08,680 Speaker 1: consequences of that are becoming so apparent, not just personally 31 00:02:08,720 --> 00:02:13,240 Speaker 1: and anecdotally, but we're seeing increasing problems with attention, overall, 32 00:02:13,280 --> 00:02:18,720 Speaker 1: life satisfaction, social skills connection. It's even created these new 33 00:02:18,800 --> 00:02:24,160 Speaker 1: terms like nature deficit disorder, showing us that this alienation 34 00:02:24,880 --> 00:02:29,400 Speaker 1: from our natural environment is really creating a lot of problems. 35 00:02:29,520 --> 00:02:32,919 Speaker 1: So today I want to discuss the studies and the 36 00:02:32,919 --> 00:02:36,920 Speaker 1: science behind the healing power of nature and how to 37 00:02:37,000 --> 00:02:40,040 Speaker 1: implement that in our lives. We're going to look at 38 00:02:40,080 --> 00:02:44,240 Speaker 1: all the evidence, especially from this new discipline of ecopsychology, 39 00:02:44,760 --> 00:02:48,040 Speaker 1: but also some of the origins of this understanding, from 40 00:02:48,440 --> 00:02:52,880 Speaker 1: the idea of forest bathing in Japan, forest schools in Scandinavia, 41 00:02:53,639 --> 00:02:57,840 Speaker 1: and some really amazing techniques and just general philosophies and 42 00:02:57,960 --> 00:03:02,160 Speaker 1: understanding from some indigenous cultures in Australia and New Zealand. 43 00:03:02,840 --> 00:03:06,640 Speaker 1: What I find particularly fascinating is probably not the word 44 00:03:06,680 --> 00:03:10,960 Speaker 1: maybe a little bit disturbing, is that Western psychology in 45 00:03:11,040 --> 00:03:16,600 Speaker 1: particular is often really dismissive of how nature can be 46 00:03:16,720 --> 00:03:20,359 Speaker 1: integrated into our treatment for mental health symptoms and conditions, 47 00:03:20,919 --> 00:03:25,519 Speaker 1: and it just kind of pathologizes us. We're so preoccupied 48 00:03:26,360 --> 00:03:30,760 Speaker 1: with finding a label for things and with pharmaceuticals, which 49 00:03:30,840 --> 00:03:33,680 Speaker 1: definitely have their place, but I think that we've really 50 00:03:33,760 --> 00:03:38,160 Speaker 1: lost touch with that holistic perspective. So I also really 51 00:03:38,200 --> 00:03:41,880 Speaker 1: want to kind of explore how we can integrate exposure 52 00:03:41,920 --> 00:03:45,440 Speaker 1: to nature into our daily routine, from the big things 53 00:03:45,440 --> 00:03:48,839 Speaker 1: to the daily rituals, and the impact that we might 54 00:03:48,920 --> 00:03:53,080 Speaker 1: just see on our lifestyle and our emotional and mental 55 00:03:53,120 --> 00:03:57,400 Speaker 1: health and sense of fulfillment. It's a huge episode. There 56 00:03:57,440 --> 00:04:00,240 Speaker 1: is so much to cover, and some of them my 57 00:04:00,320 --> 00:04:04,120 Speaker 1: favorite psychology of the day is coming from this new discipline, 58 00:04:04,160 --> 00:04:08,200 Speaker 1: so I really cannot wait to share it. Also, if 59 00:04:08,240 --> 00:04:11,240 Speaker 1: you are not yet subscribed to my Patreon, please make 60 00:04:11,240 --> 00:04:13,960 Speaker 1: sure to go and follow me over there, you'll get 61 00:04:14,000 --> 00:04:19,560 Speaker 1: access to bonus content, new episodes, episode transcripts, studies, a newsletter, 62 00:04:20,080 --> 00:04:22,920 Speaker 1: so many good things. So I really appreciate the support 63 00:04:23,120 --> 00:04:26,559 Speaker 1: so many of you have already showed me. Without further Ado, 64 00:04:27,240 --> 00:04:31,880 Speaker 1: let's discuss the healing power of nature and all of 65 00:04:31,920 --> 00:04:37,280 Speaker 1: the science and psychology supporting our need to reconnect. I'm 66 00:04:37,400 --> 00:04:40,400 Speaker 1: so excited. I cannot stress this enough. If you're feeling 67 00:04:40,520 --> 00:04:44,680 Speaker 1: a bit lost, a bit disconnected from yourself, this is 68 00:04:45,120 --> 00:04:49,480 Speaker 1: essential listening. So without further Ado, let's get into it. 69 00:04:54,800 --> 00:04:59,440 Speaker 1: I think every single one of us has this intuitive 70 00:04:59,560 --> 00:05:04,239 Speaker 1: understand that nature is an incredibly vital ingredient for our wellbeing, 71 00:05:04,839 --> 00:05:08,640 Speaker 1: one that we have become very much detached from due 72 00:05:08,680 --> 00:05:14,240 Speaker 1: to this increasingly technology based society. Just you know, fifty, 73 00:05:14,279 --> 00:05:18,480 Speaker 1: even forty thirty years ago, we lived in a completely 74 00:05:18,720 --> 00:05:22,240 Speaker 1: different world in which the outdoors and nature they were 75 00:05:22,279 --> 00:05:26,200 Speaker 1: our entertainment. They were a deeply valuable part of our 76 00:05:26,240 --> 00:05:30,440 Speaker 1: everyday lives, when our attention was not constantly being pulled 77 00:05:30,480 --> 00:05:34,320 Speaker 1: a million different directions by social media and smart watches 78 00:05:34,640 --> 00:05:40,080 Speaker 1: and office screens. There's been this massive societal and environmental 79 00:05:40,160 --> 00:05:44,720 Speaker 1: pivot that our generation, those in our twenties have experienced 80 00:05:45,200 --> 00:05:49,120 Speaker 1: and are continuing to kind of witness. Someone said this 81 00:05:49,160 --> 00:05:50,719 Speaker 1: to me the other day, and it kind of like 82 00:05:50,800 --> 00:05:53,040 Speaker 1: stopped me because I'd never thought about it. But we 83 00:05:53,080 --> 00:05:57,960 Speaker 1: are perhaps the last group of people who experienced at 84 00:05:58,040 --> 00:06:01,800 Speaker 1: least some of our childhood or our lives without screens. 85 00:06:02,279 --> 00:06:05,320 Speaker 1: We can still remember running down to the local park 86 00:06:05,360 --> 00:06:08,960 Speaker 1: after school, riding our bikes around, climbing trees, playing in 87 00:06:08,960 --> 00:06:12,880 Speaker 1: the mud, all of these really crucial elements of play 88 00:06:13,480 --> 00:06:17,839 Speaker 1: that relied on nature as the stimuli, not something inorganic. 89 00:06:18,440 --> 00:06:21,760 Speaker 1: And I think although we've only just started to see 90 00:06:21,800 --> 00:06:24,960 Speaker 1: what this shift is doing to young kids and this 91 00:06:25,000 --> 00:06:30,440 Speaker 1: new generation, innately we know that time spent outdoors is 92 00:06:30,600 --> 00:06:34,920 Speaker 1: never time wasted, and that we feel better when we 93 00:06:35,000 --> 00:06:39,760 Speaker 1: experience nature compared to the alternatives of spending hours and 94 00:06:39,880 --> 00:06:44,239 Speaker 1: hours scrolling on our phones. That's something that has changed, 95 00:06:44,279 --> 00:06:47,320 Speaker 1: and for the first time in humanity's history, we are 96 00:06:47,360 --> 00:06:51,440 Speaker 1: spending more time indoors. We have a very limited diversity 97 00:06:51,480 --> 00:06:55,520 Speaker 1: of experiences. The other shift that I think is important 98 00:06:55,560 --> 00:06:59,880 Speaker 1: here is that we're seeing that by twenty fifty, maybe early, 99 00:07:00,920 --> 00:07:06,640 Speaker 1: it's been projected by scientists, by researchers that two thirds 100 00:07:06,640 --> 00:07:11,520 Speaker 1: of humanity will be living in either cities or urban areas. 101 00:07:11,880 --> 00:07:15,800 Speaker 1: We are becoming more and more severed from those evolutionary roots. 102 00:07:16,360 --> 00:07:19,040 Speaker 1: And this has even inspired this new term that I 103 00:07:19,120 --> 00:07:24,560 Speaker 1: was speaking about before, nature deficit disorder, the idea, and 104 00:07:24,640 --> 00:07:28,280 Speaker 1: it was really only introduced back in two thousand and five, 105 00:07:28,360 --> 00:07:32,880 Speaker 1: so less than twenty years ago. It claims that humans 106 00:07:33,120 --> 00:07:37,800 Speaker 1: we're spending less time outdoors and this is resulting in 107 00:07:37,840 --> 00:07:42,440 Speaker 1: a sense of really deep alienation and a wide range 108 00:07:42,480 --> 00:07:47,679 Speaker 1: of behavioral problems, especially amongst children. And I will say 109 00:07:47,840 --> 00:07:51,560 Speaker 1: it's not a diagnosable medical condition as of yet, but 110 00:07:51,720 --> 00:07:56,600 Speaker 1: there is this expanding body of scientific evidence that suggests 111 00:07:56,640 --> 00:08:01,240 Speaker 1: that a nature deficit disorder contributes to to a diminished 112 00:08:01,440 --> 00:08:07,480 Speaker 1: use of our senses, attention difficulties, greater problems with emotional regulation, 113 00:08:08,440 --> 00:08:13,960 Speaker 1: and also just a lack of natural curiosity. These researchers, 114 00:08:14,000 --> 00:08:18,080 Speaker 1: particularly the person who created this time, what they're suggesting 115 00:08:18,320 --> 00:08:23,600 Speaker 1: is that this experience, this trend is really weakening our 116 00:08:24,160 --> 00:08:28,200 Speaker 1: ecological literacy and that children in this generation we are 117 00:08:28,280 --> 00:08:31,480 Speaker 1: caring less and less about the natural world, which is 118 00:08:31,520 --> 00:08:36,439 Speaker 1: super problematic when we consider things like climate change, where 119 00:08:37,000 --> 00:08:40,400 Speaker 1: we need people to care, We need people to want 120 00:08:40,480 --> 00:08:45,480 Speaker 1: to protect these spaces. But these problems are also linked 121 00:08:45,640 --> 00:08:50,800 Speaker 1: more broadly to what health experts call an epidemic of inactivity. 122 00:08:51,200 --> 00:08:54,880 Speaker 1: Our lives are endoors, they are contained, and we are 123 00:08:55,000 --> 00:08:59,959 Speaker 1: very much missing out on how much healing nature can 124 00:09:00,080 --> 00:09:04,360 Speaker 1: and provide us. This understanding actually has a lot of 125 00:09:04,400 --> 00:09:09,240 Speaker 1: scientific backing, so much so that researchers have created an 126 00:09:09,440 --> 00:09:15,760 Speaker 1: entirely new discipline called ecopsychology to examine this very universal experience. 127 00:09:15,920 --> 00:09:21,800 Speaker 1: So ecopsychology is interested in understanding how we can increase 128 00:09:21,960 --> 00:09:25,680 Speaker 1: the connection between individuals and the natural environment for the 129 00:09:25,720 --> 00:09:30,360 Speaker 1: purpose of treating certain mental health conditions or promoting connection, 130 00:09:30,559 --> 00:09:36,679 Speaker 1: remedying alienation. Whilst I think typically we see conventional psychology 131 00:09:37,240 --> 00:09:40,640 Speaker 1: as being really focused on the connection between humans and 132 00:09:40,679 --> 00:09:45,320 Speaker 1: our mind and our behavior, ecopsychology is focused on the 133 00:09:45,360 --> 00:09:49,560 Speaker 1: emotional bond and the connection between humans and the earth. 134 00:09:50,080 --> 00:09:53,240 Speaker 1: The essential idea is that we have become detached from 135 00:09:53,360 --> 00:09:58,680 Speaker 1: our evolutionary roots, and by restoring our connection with our 136 00:09:58,800 --> 00:10:03,920 Speaker 1: minds with nature, we can psychologically almost heal some of 137 00:10:03,960 --> 00:10:07,840 Speaker 1: the modern day things that are impacting a lot of people. 138 00:10:08,440 --> 00:10:12,720 Speaker 1: You know, our external environment becomes a lot more industrialized 139 00:10:12,760 --> 00:10:17,080 Speaker 1: and clinical. That's a big concern because our brains are 140 00:10:17,120 --> 00:10:20,640 Speaker 1: still attuned to the ways of nature through centuries and 141 00:10:20,720 --> 00:10:24,640 Speaker 1: centuries of evolution, and by depriving it of that source 142 00:10:24,679 --> 00:10:29,199 Speaker 1: of stimulation and energy, we're kind of limiting what aspects 143 00:10:29,240 --> 00:10:32,000 Speaker 1: and areas of our brain that we can use, what 144 00:10:32,080 --> 00:10:37,120 Speaker 1: our brain is actually capable of. This idea has several 145 00:10:37,160 --> 00:10:42,160 Speaker 1: fundamental principles ecopsychology in general, and I think they're incredibly powerful. 146 00:10:42,240 --> 00:10:44,599 Speaker 1: So I'm going to list a few here before we 147 00:10:44,720 --> 00:10:48,960 Speaker 1: jump into the actual research, because I actually think a 148 00:10:49,000 --> 00:10:52,600 Speaker 1: lot of us innately believe this. So here are some 149 00:10:52,640 --> 00:10:56,720 Speaker 1: of the principles. Firstly, there is this synergetic interplay between 150 00:10:57,480 --> 00:11:01,200 Speaker 1: the planet, between Earth and our personal well baing the 151 00:11:01,200 --> 00:11:06,400 Speaker 1: core of our mind is ecologically conscious. The goal of 152 00:11:06,440 --> 00:11:11,600 Speaker 1: ecopsychology is to awaken that inherent sense of environmental reciprocity 153 00:11:11,720 --> 00:11:15,880 Speaker 1: that lies between us and the natural environment. And Finally, 154 00:11:16,559 --> 00:11:22,120 Speaker 1: the ecological ego matures towards a sense of ethical responsibility 155 00:11:22,520 --> 00:11:25,319 Speaker 1: with the planet, and that's something we want to cultivate. 156 00:11:25,920 --> 00:11:28,480 Speaker 1: I think it's really interesting, if not quite frustrating. Like 157 00:11:28,520 --> 00:11:31,920 Speaker 1: I said, that this discipline doesn't really get the attention 158 00:11:32,080 --> 00:11:34,920 Speaker 1: and the love and the credit it deserves. I think 159 00:11:35,000 --> 00:11:39,720 Speaker 1: because of this very detached clinical approach to psychology that 160 00:11:39,760 --> 00:11:43,559 Speaker 1: has dominated the field for many, many years, we have 161 00:11:43,600 --> 00:11:48,880 Speaker 1: become increasingly focused on pharmaceutical interventions and treatment of symptoms 162 00:11:49,600 --> 00:11:53,280 Speaker 1: rather than a holistic approach to our emotional and mental wellbeing. 163 00:11:53,960 --> 00:11:56,559 Speaker 1: I'm not discrediting that at all. I really hope that 164 00:11:56,600 --> 00:12:00,240 Speaker 1: it's not taken out of context. I definitely personally have 165 00:12:00,360 --> 00:12:04,240 Speaker 1: benefited and will continue to benefit from medical interventions for 166 00:12:04,320 --> 00:12:07,640 Speaker 1: my mental health, but I think our discussions should be 167 00:12:07,679 --> 00:12:12,080 Speaker 1: a lot more nuanced and inclusive of different options and 168 00:12:12,160 --> 00:12:17,200 Speaker 1: different sources of healing. Luckily for us, more and more 169 00:12:17,240 --> 00:12:20,439 Speaker 1: research is being devoted to this, so I want to 170 00:12:20,480 --> 00:12:23,600 Speaker 1: cover some of the major studies. One of the biggest 171 00:12:23,640 --> 00:12:27,240 Speaker 1: ones was conducted in the UK, and they conducted this 172 00:12:27,320 --> 00:12:30,360 Speaker 1: study of around twenty thousand people, and they found that 173 00:12:30,880 --> 00:12:34,360 Speaker 1: people who spent two hours a week in green spaces 174 00:12:34,760 --> 00:12:38,120 Speaker 1: that could literally just be your local park, they were 175 00:12:38,160 --> 00:12:43,600 Speaker 1: substantially more likely to report good health and psychological well 176 00:12:43,679 --> 00:12:47,280 Speaker 1: being than those who don't, and the cutoff was literally 177 00:12:47,640 --> 00:12:51,040 Speaker 1: two hours. Anything less than that we didn't start to 178 00:12:51,080 --> 00:12:56,200 Speaker 1: see the same benefits. Similarly, all these psychiatric unit researchers. 179 00:12:56,880 --> 00:13:00,960 Speaker 1: They've been finding that being in nature it has reduced 180 00:13:01,000 --> 00:13:04,960 Speaker 1: feelings of isolation, it's promoted a sense of calmness, and 181 00:13:05,000 --> 00:13:08,920 Speaker 1: it's even lifted the mood amongst their patients who are 182 00:13:09,000 --> 00:13:15,040 Speaker 1: undergoing treatment for various psychiatric disorders. Actually, in one of 183 00:13:15,080 --> 00:13:18,960 Speaker 1: the possibly the earliest actually observations on this, this was 184 00:13:18,960 --> 00:13:22,280 Speaker 1: like two hundred years ago, back in eighteen twelve, this 185 00:13:22,360 --> 00:13:26,480 Speaker 1: physician he worked with mental health patients, and he found 186 00:13:26,480 --> 00:13:29,400 Speaker 1: that his patients who had to pay for their treatment 187 00:13:29,880 --> 00:13:33,000 Speaker 1: by doing yard work on the hospital grounds, so they 188 00:13:33,000 --> 00:13:36,160 Speaker 1: were outside for at least three to four hours, essentially 189 00:13:36,160 --> 00:13:39,680 Speaker 1: doing manual labor in nature to pay for their treatment, 190 00:13:40,400 --> 00:13:45,160 Speaker 1: they actually recovered faster than the wealthier patients who could 191 00:13:45,200 --> 00:13:47,960 Speaker 1: afford the cost of treatment and who kind of just 192 00:13:49,000 --> 00:13:52,280 Speaker 1: walked around inside and stayed inside for much of the day. 193 00:13:52,720 --> 00:13:55,800 Speaker 1: That really flips what we would typically see. It's also 194 00:13:55,880 --> 00:13:58,360 Speaker 1: worth noting this is an observation, this isn't a study, 195 00:13:58,800 --> 00:14:00,760 Speaker 1: but it is kind of back to up by more 196 00:14:00,800 --> 00:14:05,760 Speaker 1: of those experimental conditions and experimental research that has come 197 00:14:05,800 --> 00:14:09,199 Speaker 1: out in recent years. One in twenty nineteen at the 198 00:14:09,320 --> 00:14:14,600 Speaker 1: University of Chicago, these two researchers examined the influence of 199 00:14:14,840 --> 00:14:20,760 Speaker 1: a local green environments on people in cities and large communities, 200 00:14:20,840 --> 00:14:26,000 Speaker 1: large concrete communities, and they found that green spaces near 201 00:14:26,120 --> 00:14:31,880 Speaker 1: schools really promote cognitive development in children, even just seeing 202 00:14:31,960 --> 00:14:34,720 Speaker 1: greenery they don't even have to be in it promotes 203 00:14:34,960 --> 00:14:39,800 Speaker 1: this sense of well being and emotional and cognitive development 204 00:14:40,720 --> 00:14:43,600 Speaker 1: that's been backed up. They did this incredibly. I think 205 00:14:43,680 --> 00:14:47,920 Speaker 1: it is possibly one of the largest longitudinal studies ever conducted. 206 00:14:48,440 --> 00:14:52,360 Speaker 1: These researchers in Denmark. They examined data from more than 207 00:14:52,760 --> 00:14:56,520 Speaker 1: nine hundred thousand, yes, close to a million, nine hundred 208 00:14:56,520 --> 00:15:00,680 Speaker 1: thousand children born between nineteen eighty five in two thousand 209 00:15:00,680 --> 00:15:04,360 Speaker 1: and three, and they found that those kids who lived 210 00:15:04,440 --> 00:15:08,720 Speaker 1: in neighborhoods with more green space had a reduced risks 211 00:15:08,880 --> 00:15:15,120 Speaker 1: of many psychiatric disorders later in life, including depression, mood disorders, schizophrenia, 212 00:15:15,240 --> 00:15:18,840 Speaker 1: eating disorders. I will say one of the things that 213 00:15:18,920 --> 00:15:22,640 Speaker 1: really I think conflates with that finding, or maybe is 214 00:15:22,680 --> 00:15:26,800 Speaker 1: an extraneous variable, is the influence of wealth. You know, 215 00:15:27,240 --> 00:15:29,560 Speaker 1: people who make more money can afford to buy homes 216 00:15:29,600 --> 00:15:32,720 Speaker 1: with backyards or in really affluent suburbs where they have 217 00:15:32,800 --> 00:15:37,600 Speaker 1: well maintained public parks. And obviously, as we say in psychology, 218 00:15:37,960 --> 00:15:42,880 Speaker 1: correlation is not causation, and we are by no means 219 00:15:42,960 --> 00:15:46,720 Speaker 1: suggesting that a hike is going to cure someone's major 220 00:15:46,760 --> 00:15:49,680 Speaker 1: mood disorder, but it is something to note, and I 221 00:15:49,680 --> 00:15:53,720 Speaker 1: think it's part of that larger tapestry of evidence. We've 222 00:15:53,800 --> 00:15:57,560 Speaker 1: also seen that people assigned to public housing units in 223 00:15:57,600 --> 00:16:03,400 Speaker 1: neighborhood with more green space showed better attentional functioning than 224 00:16:03,440 --> 00:16:07,440 Speaker 1: those assigned to units with less access to natural environments, 225 00:16:08,120 --> 00:16:13,520 Speaker 1: and just being exposed to nature it really improves things 226 00:16:13,560 --> 00:16:18,280 Speaker 1: like our working memory. Whilst exposure to urban environments, particularly 227 00:16:18,360 --> 00:16:23,760 Speaker 1: through childhood to adulthood, is linked to attention deficits, maybe 228 00:16:23,800 --> 00:16:26,080 Speaker 1: even at the extreme, and this is very much at 229 00:16:26,080 --> 00:16:30,680 Speaker 1: the extreme things like ADHD, it may also go way 230 00:16:30,720 --> 00:16:33,600 Speaker 1: deeper than that. It just provides a general sense of 231 00:16:33,640 --> 00:16:37,240 Speaker 1: well being that also helps to reduce things like crime 232 00:16:37,560 --> 00:16:41,480 Speaker 1: and aggression. Back in twenty fifteen, also in the UK, 233 00:16:41,640 --> 00:16:44,280 Speaker 1: they're really pushing a lot of this research at the moment. 234 00:16:44,920 --> 00:16:47,840 Speaker 1: They conducted a study on two thousand people and they 235 00:16:47,920 --> 00:16:52,520 Speaker 1: found that more exposure to the natural environment translated into 236 00:16:52,560 --> 00:16:58,800 Speaker 1: more community cohesion and substantially lower crime rates. Once again, 237 00:16:58,840 --> 00:17:00,880 Speaker 1: we have to think about the other rbles there, things 238 00:17:00,920 --> 00:17:04,520 Speaker 1: like wealth. But all of these findings are just combining 239 00:17:04,560 --> 00:17:08,640 Speaker 1: to show that nature is an integral part of our wellbeing, 240 00:17:09,240 --> 00:17:11,479 Speaker 1: of our physical health, of our mental health, of our 241 00:17:11,520 --> 00:17:16,399 Speaker 1: emotional health, that we don't only neglect, but the environments 242 00:17:16,440 --> 00:17:19,840 Speaker 1: that we now live in are neglecting for us. The 243 00:17:19,920 --> 00:17:24,200 Speaker 1: reason I wanted to provide so many examples is because 244 00:17:24,200 --> 00:17:27,160 Speaker 1: I want to kind of show the diversity of the impacts. 245 00:17:27,200 --> 00:17:31,280 Speaker 1: It's not just about our psychological wellbeing, but it's about 246 00:17:31,440 --> 00:17:34,960 Speaker 1: sense of community, it's about physical health, it's about loneliness. 247 00:17:35,440 --> 00:17:37,879 Speaker 1: The list is like honestly endless. This is just like 248 00:17:37,920 --> 00:17:41,119 Speaker 1: a minor cross section of all that is going into 249 00:17:41,560 --> 00:17:46,040 Speaker 1: kind of pushing the field of ecopsychology along. However, the 250 00:17:46,200 --> 00:17:52,119 Speaker 1: idea that nature has these innate healing properties is by 251 00:17:52,200 --> 00:17:56,359 Speaker 1: no means a new one. It has a really rich 252 00:17:56,520 --> 00:18:01,480 Speaker 1: and diverse history. It spans across the world Japan and Finland, Australia, Italy, 253 00:18:02,080 --> 00:18:06,760 Speaker 1: especially in a lot of indigenous cultures. Perhaps that's another 254 00:18:06,840 --> 00:18:12,920 Speaker 1: reason why it's sometimes discredited. Western medicine is very much 255 00:18:13,000 --> 00:18:17,240 Speaker 1: plagued by what we would call biological reductionism. It's always 256 00:18:17,320 --> 00:18:20,840 Speaker 1: looking for some internal pathological origin of a lot of 257 00:18:20,880 --> 00:18:25,840 Speaker 1: our problems rather than looking externally to what's happening in 258 00:18:25,880 --> 00:18:28,480 Speaker 1: our environment that might be making us feel this way. 259 00:18:29,160 --> 00:18:32,920 Speaker 1: And for many, many years, there has been this amazing 260 00:18:32,920 --> 00:18:35,480 Speaker 1: amount of knowledge in a lot of indigenous and non 261 00:18:35,520 --> 00:18:39,000 Speaker 1: Western cultures that has been claiming that, that has been 262 00:18:39,040 --> 00:18:42,399 Speaker 1: saying that. So what I really want to focus on 263 00:18:42,680 --> 00:18:47,000 Speaker 1: next is what are some of these historical and cultural 264 00:18:47,080 --> 00:18:50,560 Speaker 1: links that have been made between exposure to nature and 265 00:18:50,720 --> 00:18:56,439 Speaker 1: well being. Why is nature so powerful? What is actually 266 00:18:56,520 --> 00:19:01,280 Speaker 1: happening in our brains and our bodies to promote these outcomes? 267 00:19:01,680 --> 00:19:05,040 Speaker 1: And of course, in this increasingly digitalized world, in this 268 00:19:05,119 --> 00:19:10,160 Speaker 1: industrialized world, how do we integrate these practices into our 269 00:19:10,280 --> 00:19:13,080 Speaker 1: very busy lives. I know it's very easy for me 270 00:19:13,160 --> 00:19:16,520 Speaker 1: to kind of stand up on this podium or my 271 00:19:16,600 --> 00:19:18,800 Speaker 1: soapbox and be like, we need to spend more time 272 00:19:18,800 --> 00:19:21,040 Speaker 1: in nature. But I know a lot of us are 273 00:19:21,040 --> 00:19:24,040 Speaker 1: like that is so unrealistic. So let's talk through how 274 00:19:24,080 --> 00:19:26,520 Speaker 1: we can actually do that. It's a lot easier than 275 00:19:26,560 --> 00:19:29,600 Speaker 1: we think. So all of that and more in just 276 00:19:29,680 --> 00:19:39,679 Speaker 1: a second. One of the best examples of a modern 277 00:19:39,800 --> 00:19:44,000 Speaker 1: day in nature therapy or practice is called forest bathing 278 00:19:44,119 --> 00:19:49,199 Speaker 1: or shinrin yuruku in Japanese. This idea emerged in Japan 279 00:19:49,400 --> 00:19:53,439 Speaker 1: in the early nineteen eighties and the purpose was to 280 00:19:53,680 --> 00:19:58,840 Speaker 1: literally take time to bathe in nature. It's not about exercise, 281 00:19:59,080 --> 00:20:02,320 Speaker 1: it's not about kind of count your calories or get 282 00:20:02,320 --> 00:20:07,040 Speaker 1: fit or hiking or jogging, but connecting with nature through 283 00:20:07,480 --> 00:20:12,280 Speaker 1: all of our senses through sight, hearing, taste, touch and smell, 284 00:20:12,320 --> 00:20:16,480 Speaker 1: and by doing this kind of opening those pathways back 285 00:20:16,600 --> 00:20:21,080 Speaker 1: up to the natural world. It's actually become a vital 286 00:20:21,320 --> 00:20:25,680 Speaker 1: part of preventive healthcare in Japan. Some doctors will literally 287 00:20:25,800 --> 00:20:30,000 Speaker 1: prescribe forest bathing to burn out office workers, and the 288 00:20:30,040 --> 00:20:32,760 Speaker 1: government has actually invested in this. They've done a series 289 00:20:32,760 --> 00:20:38,639 Speaker 1: as studies and they found that this practice improved sleep quality, mood, 290 00:20:38,800 --> 00:20:42,520 Speaker 1: reduce stress levels. There's a really good book on this 291 00:20:42,760 --> 00:20:46,200 Speaker 1: very practice. It's called Forest Bathing, How Trees Can Help 292 00:20:46,240 --> 00:20:49,040 Speaker 1: You Find Health and Happiness. A friend gave it to 293 00:20:49,080 --> 00:20:51,520 Speaker 1: me last year, maybe a couple of years ago, and 294 00:20:51,560 --> 00:20:57,480 Speaker 1: it's really incredible. It's really quite profound seeing how I 295 00:20:57,520 --> 00:20:59,919 Speaker 1: guess what we can bring to our lives and how 296 00:21:00,160 --> 00:21:04,560 Speaker 1: we can elevate our experiences with nature. There's also this 297 00:21:04,720 --> 00:21:08,960 Speaker 1: idea in ancient China of chi which is the vital 298 00:21:09,000 --> 00:21:13,440 Speaker 1: connection between humans and the earth, and that connection has 299 00:21:13,680 --> 00:21:16,200 Speaker 1: formed a big part of the naturopathy movement in the 300 00:21:16,280 --> 00:21:22,240 Speaker 1: nineteenth century. Other countries and cultures have very similar ideas 301 00:21:22,359 --> 00:21:29,600 Speaker 1: or practices for promoting a spiritual and psychological reconnection with nature. 302 00:21:30,240 --> 00:21:33,240 Speaker 1: In a lot of Scandinavian countries they have these things 303 00:21:33,280 --> 00:21:36,360 Speaker 1: called forest schools. In Australia we call them bush schools, 304 00:21:36,920 --> 00:21:41,000 Speaker 1: and essentially the premise is that learning should take place 305 00:21:41,080 --> 00:21:45,200 Speaker 1: in a natural setting where children are able to explore 306 00:21:45,240 --> 00:21:48,800 Speaker 1: and discover, away from screens and away from kind of 307 00:21:48,800 --> 00:21:53,560 Speaker 1: some of those traditional learning practices. It's also called woodland 308 00:21:53,680 --> 00:21:58,040 Speaker 1: or free range learning, like free range chickens, and the 309 00:21:58,080 --> 00:22:02,320 Speaker 1: idea came about in the nineteen nineties amongst this small 310 00:22:02,359 --> 00:22:07,280 Speaker 1: group of Danish educators that although their schools may not 311 00:22:07,359 --> 00:22:13,159 Speaker 1: have an actual classroom, they could provide a better learning experience. 312 00:22:13,760 --> 00:22:16,480 Speaker 1: I think, if you've always been raised in a really 313 00:22:16,520 --> 00:22:20,720 Speaker 1: conventional idea of what schooling should be, this may seem 314 00:22:20,800 --> 00:22:23,760 Speaker 1: like kind of bizarre, maybe a bit abstract, But I 315 00:22:23,840 --> 00:22:28,000 Speaker 1: remember spending so much time in nature. As a child, 316 00:22:28,560 --> 00:22:30,840 Speaker 1: me and my sisters and my cousins, we would go 317 00:22:30,880 --> 00:22:33,200 Speaker 1: and explore the bush with my granddad and we would 318 00:22:33,480 --> 00:22:36,520 Speaker 1: plant flowers and make mud patties and swim in the creek. 319 00:22:37,200 --> 00:22:42,160 Speaker 1: I remember those memories so clearly. They're like a massive 320 00:22:42,200 --> 00:22:45,200 Speaker 1: part of my identity. But you know what I don't remember. 321 00:22:45,280 --> 00:22:49,119 Speaker 1: I do not remember a single thing about my primary 322 00:22:49,160 --> 00:22:51,879 Speaker 1: school classroom, not a single thing. I think the only 323 00:22:51,960 --> 00:22:55,199 Speaker 1: thing I can remember is like the class pets that 324 00:22:55,240 --> 00:22:58,840 Speaker 1: we had, and like standardized testing. I'm not saying that 325 00:22:58,920 --> 00:23:02,840 Speaker 1: I didn't learn important things during that time, but a 326 00:23:02,920 --> 00:23:05,200 Speaker 1: lot of that could have been elevated, and I probably 327 00:23:05,240 --> 00:23:10,480 Speaker 1: would have benefited from a more integrated classroom experience that 328 00:23:10,920 --> 00:23:14,439 Speaker 1: combined the outdoors, which luckily I was already getting in 329 00:23:14,480 --> 00:23:18,160 Speaker 1: like my leisure time thanks to my parents, but combined 330 00:23:18,160 --> 00:23:21,080 Speaker 1: that with some of those wild and natural experiences. And 331 00:23:21,119 --> 00:23:24,760 Speaker 1: I feel really bad for kids who don't get that. 332 00:23:24,880 --> 00:23:26,679 Speaker 1: I think they really miss out on some of that 333 00:23:26,880 --> 00:23:31,520 Speaker 1: natural curiosity. I've also been contemplating this idea a lot 334 00:23:31,720 --> 00:23:34,080 Speaker 1: in terms of my future children. Maybe that's an idea 335 00:23:34,119 --> 00:23:36,159 Speaker 1: we should do on the show. Like I don't know 336 00:23:36,160 --> 00:23:39,800 Speaker 1: what it was, but I entered my like mid twenties 337 00:23:39,920 --> 00:23:42,480 Speaker 1: and was like, couldn't stop thinking about children. We need 338 00:23:42,520 --> 00:23:45,800 Speaker 1: to talk about that, actually, But sidebar, I've been thinking 339 00:23:45,840 --> 00:23:48,200 Speaker 1: a lot in terms of the kids that I want 340 00:23:48,200 --> 00:23:51,840 Speaker 1: to raise someday, and I would want my children to 341 00:23:51,960 --> 00:23:54,080 Speaker 1: be a little bit wild, to always be a little 342 00:23:54,119 --> 00:23:56,600 Speaker 1: bit dirty and a little bit messy. I think there 343 00:23:56,640 --> 00:23:59,520 Speaker 1: is so much of this recent science that shows how 344 00:23:59,640 --> 00:24:04,160 Speaker 1: valuable those early experiences and that spiritual and psychological connection 345 00:24:04,280 --> 00:24:08,919 Speaker 1: with nature, how profound and powerful that could be. And 346 00:24:08,960 --> 00:24:11,680 Speaker 1: so when I think about how I would want to 347 00:24:11,760 --> 00:24:15,880 Speaker 1: raise perhaps future children, future versions of me, I kind 348 00:24:15,880 --> 00:24:18,640 Speaker 1: of reflect on what that says about my priorities right 349 00:24:18,680 --> 00:24:21,560 Speaker 1: now and how I can reflect that in my own life. 350 00:24:22,320 --> 00:24:24,840 Speaker 1: I will say this idea has existed for a long time, 351 00:24:24,880 --> 00:24:28,800 Speaker 1: and a lot of indigenous cultures have known what Western 352 00:24:28,840 --> 00:24:32,800 Speaker 1: medicine and psychology is only just figuring out, and they've 353 00:24:32,800 --> 00:24:36,080 Speaker 1: known it for thousands and thousands of years. In Australia, 354 00:24:36,119 --> 00:24:39,920 Speaker 1: our first nations people specifically Aboriginal and torrestright islander people, 355 00:24:39,920 --> 00:24:43,679 Speaker 1: who are the oldest known civilization on Earth. They have 356 00:24:44,080 --> 00:24:47,359 Speaker 1: such a deep idea of country and connection to the land, 357 00:24:47,920 --> 00:24:52,240 Speaker 1: and I think this connection is difficult for non indigenous 358 00:24:52,240 --> 00:24:55,280 Speaker 1: people to grasp something we can learn a lot from 359 00:24:55,400 --> 00:24:59,960 Speaker 1: because these groups, these cultures have long known about it 360 00:25:00,280 --> 00:25:03,520 Speaker 1: and use the healing properties of nature. There was a 361 00:25:03,560 --> 00:25:07,199 Speaker 1: really fascinating article that I read when researching this idea, 362 00:25:07,240 --> 00:25:11,680 Speaker 1: and it discusses this concept of barefoot healing or earthing 363 00:25:12,320 --> 00:25:16,399 Speaker 1: that allows us to feel present in nature and acknowledge 364 00:25:16,440 --> 00:25:20,040 Speaker 1: the interconnectedness between us and kind of every living thing. 365 00:25:20,280 --> 00:25:22,879 Speaker 1: And the Maori people of New Zealand, I know that 366 00:25:22,920 --> 00:25:27,760 Speaker 1: they also have kind of a similar philosophy and connection 367 00:25:27,920 --> 00:25:31,439 Speaker 1: to the land. So many cultures, so many societies have 368 00:25:31,640 --> 00:25:36,080 Speaker 1: known about this. So why is it that this practice 369 00:25:36,080 --> 00:25:39,480 Speaker 1: could prove so valuable for this current generation. How do 370 00:25:39,560 --> 00:25:43,199 Speaker 1: we adopt this kind of learning and understanding? What are 371 00:25:43,240 --> 00:25:48,280 Speaker 1: the psychological explanations that can be offered for these deep 372 00:25:48,320 --> 00:25:50,760 Speaker 1: shifts that we see in our emotional state and see 373 00:25:50,760 --> 00:25:53,440 Speaker 1: in our mental well being. To answer that, we need 374 00:25:53,480 --> 00:25:56,520 Speaker 1: to look at the neural and lobal structures of the 375 00:25:56,600 --> 00:26:00,280 Speaker 1: brain and how our brain has evolved to ad to 376 00:26:00,320 --> 00:26:04,880 Speaker 1: our environment. Specifically, the role of this new brain when 377 00:26:04,920 --> 00:26:08,320 Speaker 1: we think about the activities that were crucial for our 378 00:26:08,320 --> 00:26:12,360 Speaker 1: survival and therefore have the greatest role in the evolution 379 00:26:12,520 --> 00:26:16,440 Speaker 1: of our brains. These are around things like foraging and hunting, 380 00:26:16,880 --> 00:26:21,080 Speaker 1: and both activities obviously occurred in a natural environment. I 381 00:26:21,119 --> 00:26:23,960 Speaker 1: want to focus mainly on foraging here. We used to 382 00:26:24,000 --> 00:26:28,800 Speaker 1: spend our days searching for food, for useful resources, for berries, 383 00:26:28,840 --> 00:26:33,840 Speaker 1: for sustenance. What that involved was a really complex cognitive process, 384 00:26:33,960 --> 00:26:38,159 Speaker 1: constant exposure to new stimuli, a rich environment, and choice 385 00:26:38,160 --> 00:26:42,560 Speaker 1: options and cost benefit analysis problem solving. Crucially, what this 386 00:26:42,760 --> 00:26:46,200 Speaker 1: also meant is that when we were doing this, we 387 00:26:46,200 --> 00:26:49,840 Speaker 1: were using different parts of our brain and building different 388 00:26:49,880 --> 00:26:56,200 Speaker 1: synaptic connections that created a larger and more cognitively complex 389 00:26:56,600 --> 00:27:01,760 Speaker 1: structure that is our current brain at this point of evolution. 390 00:27:02,160 --> 00:27:07,040 Speaker 1: As we started really I guess, old humans, ancient humans, 391 00:27:07,040 --> 00:27:10,320 Speaker 1: whatever you want to call them, As they started building 392 00:27:10,359 --> 00:27:14,000 Speaker 1: these neural networks, as they started exploring more and problem 393 00:27:14,080 --> 00:27:17,880 Speaker 1: solving more, we saw this idea of the new brain. 394 00:27:17,880 --> 00:27:20,639 Speaker 1: We saw this new brain begin to develop, and that 395 00:27:20,800 --> 00:27:25,239 Speaker 1: is what truly made us human. That is where we 396 00:27:25,280 --> 00:27:29,679 Speaker 1: see our identity form, our personality, our social skills, and 397 00:27:29,840 --> 00:27:35,240 Speaker 1: all of that has evolved within an environment of natural fulfillment. Therefore, 398 00:27:35,240 --> 00:27:38,720 Speaker 1: the more and more detached we come from these surroundings, 399 00:27:39,240 --> 00:27:42,760 Speaker 1: the more and more we see those negative mental consequences 400 00:27:42,840 --> 00:27:48,159 Speaker 1: that we've discussed, Our modern day environment does not stimulate 401 00:27:48,200 --> 00:27:51,560 Speaker 1: this same activity or cognitive thrill. When we're trying to 402 00:27:51,840 --> 00:27:56,240 Speaker 1: navigate our concrete cities. We're doing monotonous daily tasks, Flashing 403 00:27:56,280 --> 00:28:01,080 Speaker 1: screens that constant spike in dopamine, and listen by social media. 404 00:28:01,640 --> 00:28:05,320 Speaker 1: All of that requires the kind of attention that is 405 00:28:05,359 --> 00:28:10,240 Speaker 1: incredibly procedural and automatic. It doesn't take much from us 406 00:28:10,440 --> 00:28:16,160 Speaker 1: cognitively or emotionally, or when we think about the comparison between, say, 407 00:28:16,760 --> 00:28:21,240 Speaker 1: the use of social media and natural scavenging, social media 408 00:28:21,520 --> 00:28:26,240 Speaker 1: is designed to hijack our reward system and to give 409 00:28:26,400 --> 00:28:31,080 Speaker 1: us a very immediate dopamine hit that is highly addictive 410 00:28:31,240 --> 00:28:34,840 Speaker 1: because it doesn't require much effort, but it also gives 411 00:28:34,920 --> 00:28:40,040 Speaker 1: us less satisfaction when we compare that to activities where 412 00:28:40,040 --> 00:28:43,640 Speaker 1: we are actively curious about our environment and in a 413 00:28:43,720 --> 00:28:48,840 Speaker 1: process of discovery, that creates a slower release of dopamine 414 00:28:48,880 --> 00:28:53,280 Speaker 1: that is more fulfilling, and that slow release effect also 415 00:28:53,360 --> 00:28:57,200 Speaker 1: means that it lasts for longer. I have a very 416 00:28:57,240 --> 00:29:03,239 Speaker 1: particular vitual towards screens because we have consistently seen that 417 00:29:03,880 --> 00:29:07,680 Speaker 1: more and more ours and daily exposure to laptops to phones, 418 00:29:08,400 --> 00:29:13,480 Speaker 1: it's associated with lower psychological well being because it is 419 00:29:13,680 --> 00:29:18,640 Speaker 1: so limited, same colors, same apps, same daily activities. In 420 00:29:18,680 --> 00:29:22,800 Speaker 1: a natural environment, however, we pay attention more broadly and 421 00:29:22,800 --> 00:29:25,800 Speaker 1: in a way that is rewarding, which leads to a 422 00:29:25,880 --> 00:29:29,880 Speaker 1: far more relaxed body and a relaxed mind. It's also 423 00:29:29,920 --> 00:29:35,520 Speaker 1: been found that exposure to nature reduces cortisol levels. Cortisol 424 00:29:35,600 --> 00:29:39,920 Speaker 1: is the hormone that is responsible for our stress response, 425 00:29:40,680 --> 00:29:43,800 Speaker 1: and when our levels of cortisol are elevated for a 426 00:29:43,840 --> 00:29:48,760 Speaker 1: long time, we see things like increased illnesses, increased sickness, 427 00:29:48,760 --> 00:29:54,440 Speaker 1: increased blood pressure. So putting ourselves in nature also reduces 428 00:29:54,960 --> 00:29:58,200 Speaker 1: our likelihood of developing some of those chronic health problems 429 00:29:58,240 --> 00:30:02,360 Speaker 1: as well. There's I've also been this study floating around 430 00:30:02,440 --> 00:30:07,480 Speaker 1: social media recently which claims that seeing water improves our 431 00:30:07,560 --> 00:30:11,360 Speaker 1: mental health. I will admit I was a bit skeptical 432 00:30:11,680 --> 00:30:16,040 Speaker 1: because anytime I see psychological studies or conclusions online that 433 00:30:16,120 --> 00:30:19,480 Speaker 1: don't have a source, half of the time they're not true. 434 00:30:20,080 --> 00:30:25,720 Speaker 1: But surprisingly this one actually is. This study was published 435 00:30:25,720 --> 00:30:30,200 Speaker 1: in the American Association of Advancement Science and It found 436 00:30:30,240 --> 00:30:34,760 Speaker 1: that staring at the ocean actually changes our brain wave 437 00:30:34,920 --> 00:30:39,360 Speaker 1: frequency and can put us in almost a mild meditative state. 438 00:30:40,120 --> 00:30:47,000 Speaker 1: Water seems to have this specifically psychologically restorative effect. Maybe 439 00:30:47,040 --> 00:30:50,440 Speaker 1: it's because of the sunlight less polluted air, but we 440 00:30:50,560 --> 00:30:55,280 Speaker 1: know that it significantly improves our mood and our mental wellbeing. 441 00:30:56,040 --> 00:31:01,480 Speaker 1: And finally, nature offers novelty. When we are used to 442 00:31:01,560 --> 00:31:05,960 Speaker 1: our habitual patterns and daily routine, the scrolling the work commute, 443 00:31:06,440 --> 00:31:10,480 Speaker 1: what we're missing out on is new experiences, and research 444 00:31:10,520 --> 00:31:14,760 Speaker 1: shows that novelty triggers the release of dopemine in the 445 00:31:14,800 --> 00:31:18,680 Speaker 1: brain as a reward, encouraging us to be more curious 446 00:31:18,720 --> 00:31:22,280 Speaker 1: and to be more motivated. That may be the reason 447 00:31:22,320 --> 00:31:26,400 Speaker 1: why we see this healing power of nature. It's the newness. 448 00:31:26,880 --> 00:31:31,560 Speaker 1: It's the break from the usual that stimulates this ancient 449 00:31:31,720 --> 00:31:36,600 Speaker 1: evolutionary need. So how do we integrate this, especially when 450 00:31:36,640 --> 00:31:39,320 Speaker 1: our lives are so busy, and for those who are 451 00:31:39,360 --> 00:31:43,000 Speaker 1: living in cities, we are in these highly developed environments. 452 00:31:43,680 --> 00:31:47,240 Speaker 1: I think it's all about what you choose to prioritize. 453 00:31:47,800 --> 00:31:50,400 Speaker 1: The easiest thing we can do is what is most convenient. 454 00:31:51,080 --> 00:31:53,840 Speaker 1: You could spend your weekends watching TV, You could spend 455 00:31:53,840 --> 00:31:58,000 Speaker 1: your weekends drinking, spending hours on your phone, or you 456 00:31:58,040 --> 00:32:00,720 Speaker 1: can make the conscious decision to do what you know 457 00:32:00,800 --> 00:32:04,720 Speaker 1: will be better for you psychologically in the long term. 458 00:32:05,160 --> 00:32:08,480 Speaker 1: The choices really yours. You are the only one who 459 00:32:08,520 --> 00:32:11,880 Speaker 1: gets to make that decision, and it's about deciding what 460 00:32:12,000 --> 00:32:16,640 Speaker 1: kind of life you're prepared to live. Plan a weekend trip, 461 00:32:16,720 --> 00:32:20,440 Speaker 1: a weekend hike with your friends. Make it an exciting 462 00:32:20,520 --> 00:32:24,520 Speaker 1: activity to kind of look towards and carry you through 463 00:32:24,520 --> 00:32:27,760 Speaker 1: the week. The other thing is to make like a 464 00:32:27,800 --> 00:32:32,360 Speaker 1: bit of a bucket list of local nature spots, beaches, 465 00:32:32,760 --> 00:32:37,920 Speaker 1: picnic locations, or just make the time to do normal 466 00:32:37,960 --> 00:32:43,280 Speaker 1: activities in these locations, like exercising, catching up with friends 467 00:32:44,000 --> 00:32:46,800 Speaker 1: rather than going to a bar, go to the local park. 468 00:32:46,840 --> 00:32:50,800 Speaker 1: You're going to save money but also get that nature fix. 469 00:32:51,240 --> 00:32:56,120 Speaker 1: I think it's all about slowly reprogramming those hijacked Dove 470 00:32:56,200 --> 00:33:00,560 Speaker 1: Maine systems to be positioned towards the outdoors rather than 471 00:33:00,920 --> 00:33:06,880 Speaker 1: indoor screen based activities. One thing I love doing is 472 00:33:07,040 --> 00:33:09,239 Speaker 1: planning trips with a big group of friends that are 473 00:33:09,280 --> 00:33:13,400 Speaker 1: based around nature. The best kind is a coast trip. 474 00:33:13,680 --> 00:33:17,680 Speaker 1: Everyone loves a coast trip. Everyone loves a little beach holiday, 475 00:33:18,160 --> 00:33:21,040 Speaker 1: and you'll also get the benefit of breaking up your 476 00:33:21,160 --> 00:33:26,040 Speaker 1: usual environment with this natural, novel experience. I think it's 477 00:33:26,040 --> 00:33:29,280 Speaker 1: not just about the big things, though, these very large 478 00:33:29,400 --> 00:33:33,000 Speaker 1: time and energy commitments. In a lot of those studies 479 00:33:33,240 --> 00:33:39,360 Speaker 1: that we've spoken about, they reference consistent, frequent exposure, and 480 00:33:39,400 --> 00:33:42,240 Speaker 1: I know that can feel really hard in big cities 481 00:33:42,360 --> 00:33:45,160 Speaker 1: or when you're super busy. I think that's the other 482 00:33:45,240 --> 00:33:48,080 Speaker 1: problem I often found when I was working full time, 483 00:33:48,240 --> 00:33:50,720 Speaker 1: was that when the sun rises at eight and it 484 00:33:50,760 --> 00:33:54,600 Speaker 1: sets at four, and your daytime is consumed with work, 485 00:33:55,000 --> 00:33:58,200 Speaker 1: how is it even possible to get that necessary outdoor time. 486 00:33:58,720 --> 00:34:04,280 Speaker 1: It's all about the small habits, the daily rituals, finding 487 00:34:04,360 --> 00:34:08,600 Speaker 1: a way to program nature into your everyday routine. We 488 00:34:08,640 --> 00:34:12,000 Speaker 1: all eat lunch, to find a way to eat lunch outside. 489 00:34:12,600 --> 00:34:15,520 Speaker 1: Walk to work in the mornings if you can, or 490 00:34:15,719 --> 00:34:17,840 Speaker 1: just try and get up early for a nice stroll. 491 00:34:18,239 --> 00:34:21,120 Speaker 1: Take ten minutes to just sit in the sun and 492 00:34:21,120 --> 00:34:24,600 Speaker 1: feel the wind, hear the sounds, the sensation of it 493 00:34:24,680 --> 00:34:27,880 Speaker 1: on your face, what it smells like, what sounds it's carrying. 494 00:34:28,760 --> 00:34:32,520 Speaker 1: Or challenge yourself to just leave your house every day, 495 00:34:32,760 --> 00:34:35,320 Speaker 1: even if it's just to walk down the Roade. Those 496 00:34:35,800 --> 00:34:40,640 Speaker 1: small moments of exposure are cumulative, and I think better 497 00:34:40,680 --> 00:34:44,000 Speaker 1: than doing nothing at all. I also want to take 498 00:34:44,440 --> 00:34:46,680 Speaker 1: a quick moment here to shout out some of my 499 00:34:46,800 --> 00:34:50,920 Speaker 1: favorite books and further resources on this topic, because if 500 00:34:50,920 --> 00:34:54,239 Speaker 1: you have not noticed, I'm very obsessed with this concept 501 00:34:54,280 --> 00:34:58,440 Speaker 1: and this entire idea of ecopsychology at the moment. I 502 00:34:58,440 --> 00:35:01,120 Speaker 1: think it's so important, it's not spoken about enough and 503 00:35:01,360 --> 00:35:06,640 Speaker 1: so valuable. Rewilding is also a really important idea in 504 00:35:06,640 --> 00:35:10,840 Speaker 1: this space, and this amazing book called Rewilding the Urban 505 00:35:10,880 --> 00:35:16,319 Speaker 1: Soul is incredible for understanding this. I'm also strangely a 506 00:35:16,440 --> 00:35:20,320 Speaker 1: huge fan of Into the Wild. I maybe this doesn't 507 00:35:20,440 --> 00:35:23,239 Speaker 1: sit here, but I think that this movie is incredible. 508 00:35:23,360 --> 00:35:27,520 Speaker 1: Sometimes what we need is not nature itself, but that 509 00:35:27,719 --> 00:35:31,640 Speaker 1: motivation to actually be present. And I don't know what 510 00:35:31,719 --> 00:35:34,759 Speaker 1: it is about this film, but every time I watch it, 511 00:35:35,320 --> 00:35:38,600 Speaker 1: I just have this urge to go and hike like 512 00:35:38,640 --> 00:35:43,520 Speaker 1: the Pacific Cresttrail. It's a must watch. And finally, Losing 513 00:35:43,719 --> 00:35:47,239 Speaker 1: Eden by Lucy Jones. If you love neuroscience, if you 514 00:35:47,400 --> 00:35:53,320 Speaker 1: love psychology, this book is so profound and really really convincing. 515 00:35:53,760 --> 00:35:56,880 Speaker 1: I really hope this episode has at the very least 516 00:35:57,480 --> 00:36:01,239 Speaker 1: left you with something to contemplate. Hope that maybe you 517 00:36:01,239 --> 00:36:04,040 Speaker 1: were on a little stroll while you were listening to this. 518 00:36:04,200 --> 00:36:07,680 Speaker 1: If you are, send me a photo. We'll definitely repost 519 00:36:07,719 --> 00:36:10,520 Speaker 1: it to my Instagram because that is so cool. But 520 00:36:10,800 --> 00:36:14,759 Speaker 1: I just think that nature is such an amazing psychological 521 00:36:14,800 --> 00:36:18,520 Speaker 1: tool and resource that we don't often use. So some 522 00:36:18,560 --> 00:36:21,960 Speaker 1: food for thought, if you will. I really enjoyed this episode. 523 00:36:22,000 --> 00:36:24,160 Speaker 1: I want to talk about this a lot more, so 524 00:36:24,640 --> 00:36:27,400 Speaker 1: maybe we'll do a part two. We'll never know if 525 00:36:27,440 --> 00:36:30,279 Speaker 1: you have an episode suggestion. As always, please feel free 526 00:36:30,320 --> 00:36:33,960 Speaker 1: to follow me at that psychology podcast and follow along 527 00:36:34,040 --> 00:36:37,040 Speaker 1: to see what's coming up. You can find our new 528 00:36:37,160 --> 00:36:40,200 Speaker 1: merch you can just look at video content of my 529 00:36:40,280 --> 00:36:43,680 Speaker 1: show whatever, whatever suits your fancy. Also, we have a 530 00:36:43,719 --> 00:36:46,360 Speaker 1: Patreon now that I plugged at the beginning. It's just 531 00:36:46,480 --> 00:36:50,040 Speaker 1: me doing this show, writing these episodes and creating this content, 532 00:36:50,160 --> 00:36:54,800 Speaker 1: so any support that you can provide is really, really meaningful. 533 00:36:54,880 --> 00:36:58,480 Speaker 1: You also get access to bonus content, so many good things, 534 00:36:59,080 --> 00:37:01,680 Speaker 1: and as all, if you feel compelled to do so, 535 00:37:01,800 --> 00:37:04,279 Speaker 1: please feel free to leave a five star review on 536 00:37:04,400 --> 00:37:08,239 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, Spotify wherever you're listening right now and share 537 00:37:08,239 --> 00:37:10,840 Speaker 1: with a friend, you never know who it will benefit. 538 00:37:11,000 --> 00:37:14,080 Speaker 1: So thank you so much for listening along, tagging along 539 00:37:14,120 --> 00:37:17,400 Speaker 1: today with this episode. We will be back next week 540 00:37:17,640 --> 00:37:20,200 Speaker 1: for another one.