Want to live a stressfree life? Make your home in the woods

Living near an abundance of trees makes adults less stressed, according to a research. People who build their homes in the lap of nature may have a healthier brain and may be at lower risk of developing stressrelated depression and anxiety disorders than those living near the urban green or wastelands, the research says. The findings show city dwellers are at a higher risk of psychiatric illnesses such as depression, anxiety disorders and schizophrenia than countryside dwellers. This is because life in a city is full of noise and pollution, and many people struggle for space, increasing the risk for chronic stress. The study from the journal Scientific Reports, states, city dwellers’ showed higher activity levels of amygdala — a central nucleus in the brain — which plays a vital role in stress processing. On the other hand, people living close to a forest showed indications of a physiologically healthy amygdala structure and were presumably better able to cope with stress. “That is why we are interested in the environmental conditions that may have positive effects on brain development,” said Simone Kuhn, psychologist at the University Medical Center Hamburg-eppendorf (UKE) Hospital in Germany. “Studies of people in the countryside have shown that living close to nature is good for their mental health,” Kuhn added. According to research, by 2050, 70% of the world population is expected to be living in cities. Therefore, the results could be important for urban planning.