THE TONIC OF WILDNESS
Indoor living has become a symptom of 2020, so soaking in the healing qualities of nature has never been more important, says Cal Flyn
Indoor life has become the norm in 2020, but the health benefits of time in nature are undeniable
Have you been outside today? In these days of home working and socialising-by-Zoom, it’s easier than ever to stay housebound. But, if you can, try to take some time to soak in the natural world. Go for a stroll, even if it’s raining. Watch the birds. Get out the pruning shears. Play in the woods with your children. You’ll be glad you did.
‘Getting some fresh air’ has long been the advice of mothers everywhere, but it’s only in recent years that medical researchers have been getting with the programme. Recent studies suggest that repeating natural patterns, the sense of awe and wonder we experience on encountering wild places, and even the microbes present in soil all play a part in making us feel calmer and more able to cope under strain. Spending time in nature is known to help with posttraumatic stress, anxiety, seasonal affective disorder and mild to moderate depression.
‘Many have felt instinctively that walking in the woods or by the sea makes our minds feel good, calm, even better, but now quantitative research and data is beginning to confirm the potential positive impact of connecting with the natural world on human mental health,’ agrees Lucy Jones, whose book Losing Eden: Why We Need the Wild includes lyrical accounts of time spent in remote areas of Dumfries and Galloway.
‘From controlled studies that show lower mental distress and higher well-being in people living in urban areas with more green space, to the impact of fractal shapes found everywhere in nature on the brain, and how awe experiences in nature can boost healthy levels of cytokines – markers of good health – scientists are showing that the mechanisms behind how nature affects the human psyche are myriad and wide-ranging.’
Such benefits have never been more crucial, as many of us face significant financial and emotional challenges during the Covid crisis. A recent survey by the Mental Health Foundation found that 62% of adults suffering from pandemic-related stress felt more able to cope after a walk outside, while 47% agreed that the presence of nearby green spaces alone was a significant help. Even before the events of the past year, mental illnesses had been on the rise for decades – including a worrying jump in detentions under the Mental Health Act, which rose by 34% in the decade running up to 2015.
With health services under increasing strain, and deteriorating mental health, it has become increasingly clear that we need a new approach. Other countries are way ahead of us. In Losing Eden, Lucy draws our attention to the Japanese practice of Shinrin-yoku, ‘forest bathing’, which has been a major plank of its public health policy since the 1980s. South Korea has been developing a ‘forest welfare’ philosophy from
around the same time; they have designated around 30 ‘public healing forests’ around the country.
Here in Scotland, as scientific consensus grows around the mental health benefits of nature, medical professionals are increasingly likely to advocate, even prescribe, time outdoors as part of a treatment plan. NHS Shetland have been a pioneer in this area; since 2018, they have been working with RSPB Scotland to offer nature prescriptions after a successful earlier trial at the Scalloway Health Centre.
The Shetland health board worked with the wildlife charity to produce a calendar of seasonally appropriate activities. December’s suggestions include feeding the birds in your garden, watching winter waders in tidal pools, and searching for the hairiest lichen within a mile of your house. In January, they include standing still for three minutes, to listen to the soundscape outdoors; or a prompt to ‘go looking for sea beans [plant seeds distributed by ocean currents] after westerly gales’. Come midsummer, NHS Shetland recommends wild camping,
“Being outdoors fosters a positive mood and feelings of increased energy
following the path of a bumblebee in flight, and trying to ‘charm’ a worm from the ground by tapping.
All of which might sound like pretty low-tech interventions – and you’d be right. But it’s more than simply asking sick patients to suck it up and go for a run. Being outdoors – specifically, in stimulating a connection with nature – is a standalone activity that fosters a positive mood and feelings of increased energy, as well as improving concentration and memory, self-esteem and stress levels, even in the absence of strenuous exercise. One might think of it as a form of mindfulness, and a sense of tapping into something larger than oneself.
Speaking at the time of the rollout, Dr Chloe Evans, a Scalloway GP, said that she appreciated the approach because it ‘provides a structured way for patients to access nature as part of a non-drug approach to health problems. The benefits to patients are that it is free, easily accessible, allows increased connection with surroundings which hopefully leads to improved physical and mental health for individuals.’
Similar programmes are now due to be rolled out around the UK. A £4m pilot scheme run by the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs began this autumn, which offers outdoor exercise classes, visits to green space and gardening as ‘green prescriptions’ intended to offer alternatives to medical intervention, and thereby ease the pressure on the NHS.
One might wonder why it’s taken us so long to make these changes, given that Florence Nightingale was stressing the importance of fresh air, flowers and views of natural scenes from hospital windows as far back as 1859. Four years before that, Henry David Thoreau wrote in his classic book Walden that ‘we need the tonic of wildness’. (Indeed, millennia before, Daoist, Ayurvedic and Hippocratic texts all discussed the significance of nature as a restorative force).
Still, better late than never. If you’re convinced, and are looking for more ways to bring the wild into your life for mental health reasons, you have plenty of options. Birdwatching from your garden is a simple, low commitment option, which requires nothing except perhaps an illustrated guide book if you would like to learn to identify common species. (I recommend the Collins Bird Guide, which is available as a phone app that allows you to search by colour, markings and size, plays audio clips of birdsong, and has a facility to record sightings by location).
Many struggling with depression and addiction also swear by the practice of wild swimming. The shock of cold water is believed to help alleviate negative symptoms, and although these effects are not fully understood, it is currently being studied by researchers at University College, London, and the University of Portsmouth. Famous devotees include the writer Amy Liptrot, whose bestselling memoir The Outrun detailed her recovery from alcoholism and her rediscovery of the natural world on Papa Westray in Orkney. (See outdoorswimmingsociety.com for advice on how to swim outdoors safely).
Or you might prefer company. Covid-restrictions allowing, the peer support network Mental Health Mates runs regular outdoor walks all around the UK, including a group that meets regularly in Glasgow. Keep an eye on their website for events near you, or start a group in your local area (mentalhealthmates.co.uk).
Whatever appeals to you – full body immersion or simply dipping a toe – there’s never been a better time to go outside.