At our wellness conference we talked about different strategies to manage burnout through gratitude, deep breathing exercises and story-telling. Today we will add another technique to our wellness arsenal: spending time in nature. In NYC, this may be difficult, but luckily we have multiple parks and green spaces throughout our city and Central Park is minutes away from Sinai.
Spending time in nature may seem intuitive for your wellness and mental being, but there have also been many studies that highlight the benefits of being in nature. Spending time in nature has been shown to provide stress relief, improve attention and improve social cohesion. Furthermore, 30 minutes or more during the week may be linked to lower rates of depression and high blood pressure.
So take a walk, sit on a bench and enjoy nature.
Sources:
Tryvainen L, et al. The influence of urban green environments on stress relief measures: a field experiement. J Environ Psychol. 2014. Jun:38:1-9.
Berman MG, Jonides J, Kaplan S. The cognitive benefits of interacting with nature. Psychol Sci. 2008 Dec;19(12):1207-12.
Shanahan DF, et al. Health Benefits from Nature Experiences Depend on Dose. Sci Rep. 2016 Jun 23;6:28551.
