Take Your Nature Pill
It doesn't take much to convince me to be in nature. Today, as I was returning home from dropping kids off at school, a glimpse of spring moss drew me into my woods. I'm grateful I am able to live in an urban environment surrounded by 3 acres of woods. Having this easy access to nature has been my source of sanity and peace during some very challenging times. My kids know to search the woods when they can't find me, and that gets them out into nature as well. I've always noticed that when I'm stressed just a few minutes in my woods calms me and helps me restore balance, making me better able to give to those around me.
While I believe some things shouldn't need evidence to be known, I'm still grateful when researchers find evidence to validate safe, natural, non-chemical interventions. ScienceDaily explains how Dr. MaryCarol Hunter, an Associate Professor at the University of Michigan, authored a study to determine the right dose of nature to reduce stress. The study was published in Frontiers in Psychology. Healthcare practitioners can use this discovery to prescribe "nature-pills" knowing they have a measurable effect.
Over an 8-week period, participants were asked to take a nature pill for at least 10 minutes, at least 3 times per week. Cortisol levels were measured from saliva samples taken before and after a nature pill once every two weeks. Participants were able to choose the time of day, duration, and place. They were asked to minimize factors known to influence stress by taking the pill in daylight, and avoiding aerobic exercise, social media, internet, phone calls, conversations and reading.
Hunter's study shows the greatest payoff in reducing cortisol levels can be achieved by spending 20-30 minutes sitting or walking in a place that provides a sense of nature. Prior to the study researchers knew nature reduced stress, but they didn't know how much, how often, or how to interact with nature. The study revealed that just 20 minutes was enough to significantly reduce cortisol, but 20-30 minutes resulted in the greatest drop in cortisol. The study "provides the first estimates of how nature experiences impact stress levels in the context of normal daily life. It breaks new ground by addressing some of the complexities of measuring an effective nature dose."
