// What is patience?
Nature heals, relieves, and connects our mind and body. Nature is proven to be useful in treating many
mental and depressive disorders such as Attention deficit and hypersensitivity disorder (ADD) in adults
and children. People with ADD are restless and distracted; interacting with nature left them in a calmer,
relaxed, and focus state. It was also found that sitting indoors with natural views is more effective than
playing outdoors with friends. Nature restores and replenishes our mental health, which is quite similar
to how food and water restore our physical health. Being in touch with nature also helps us to boost
serotonin levels, which activates the parts of the brain, which are responsible for empathy, love, and
emotional stability. Nature, with its bright colors, different patterns, and strong fragrances induces
positivity towards life and signifies that life can grow and nurture even in the toughest environment. It
reminds us that we remain positive and happy even during our hardest times and can continuously grow
through it. It relaxes and slows down our brain, which brings us a sense of peace and helps us to see
problems with a positive outlook.
Being in a highly stressed environment leads to the production of high levels of cortisol by adrenal
glands. This interferes with memory, learning weakens the immune system and bone density and disrupts
brain development in children by triggering emotional problems, mental disorders, and affecting attention
and inhibitory controls. Connection with nature helps increase our productivity and retention of memory.
It has a soothing effect to focus on trees, greenery, and our surrounding as activates our all visual,
auditory, olfactory, and sensory receptors. A long walk in nature reduces the functioning of the
prefrontal cortex, part of the brain, which is responsible for repetitive, automatic thoughts and negative
thoughts and emotion, therefore reducing activities in parts of the brain linked to depression. (Capaldi,
Dopko, & Zelenski, 2014).
Nature is also beneficial in improving our mood, cognition, and health. The history between Humans and
Nature goes long back. It has always been noted that humans have an inborn tendency to affiliate
themselves to other living beings and have a particular attraction to life and living processes, which can
be understood through an evolutionary perspective. As we all know, our ancestors use to live in forests
and are well-tuned to the natural environment to sustain and survive. They were heavily dependent on
nature for food, water, and shelter as they spent most of their evolutionary history in the natural
environment. Therefore, those who were more connected to nature had an evolutionary advantage over all
other species, which was proven to be beneficial and life-supporting. From this, we can clearly observe
that gap between Nature and us; have kept on increasing from our ancestors to current modern society, in
which we live. Our interaction with nature is minimum; for example, children are spending more time
indoors as compared to the previous generation due to technology.
Also, for the first time in human history, it has occurred that most of the population lives in urban
areas than rural areas, which had a negative impact on one's emotional and social well being. Nature has a
calming effect on the human mind. It reduces anger, stress, fear, invokes pleasant feelings, and makes us
feel better emotionally as well as contribute positively to our physical health by reducing blood
pressure, heart rate, muscle tension, and production of stress hormones. It also relieves attention and
mental fatigue, prevents burnout, and increases our creativity. Nature heals us and soothes our pain by
distracting us from pain and discomfort. The differences in attitude, personalities, and behavior have
been found in those who feel connected to nature; they are more kind, generous, and likely to promote
sustainable actions and empathized with damage done to the environment due to careless human activities.
(Bratman, Hamilton, & Daily, 2012).
Nature has a significant effect on the mood of the person. According to research, it was found that after
spending time outside in natural surroundings, the mood has improved from depressed, anxious, and stressed
to calm, balanced and positive mood. Research has also proven that viewing nature scenes activates empathy
and love related parts of the brain, which inspires feelings and connects us and our environment.
(Capaldi, Dopko, & Zelenski, 2014).
Along with these, it has always been found that a sense of connectedness is always positively associated
with happiness. For example, People with rich social life tend to be happier, as compared to shy and
introverted people. According to Aristotle, "Man is by nature a social animal," which means a person is
always in need to have a sense of belonging to the world. Social exclusion is found to activate similar
regions of the brain as physical pain. Positive changes in the brain and body occur when we are
interacting with nature. That's why we should always be connected to nature and not exploits it for our
gains. (“How Nature Can Make You Kinder, Happier, and More Creative,” 2016).
Also, imagining and visualizing the natural scene, which we find calming, has a similar impact on our
brain as experiencing nature has. Therefore, Imagining can be a useful substitute in situations where
experiencing nature is not possible. Guided imagery and visualization has its own benefits as we ignore
unwanted things. It also reduces anxiety problems. Immersing in nature and completely forgetting ourselves
in it calms our minds, and boosts our creativity. (Bratman, Hamilton, & Daily, 2012).
Many Natural therapies such as forest bathing employ healing effects of nature to benefit our mind, body,
and soul. Nature is involved and suggested in many recoveries and rehabilitation therapies, such as
alcohol detoxification and rehabilitation therapies.
We can conclude that there is a significant relationship between Nature and Man as nature proves to be
beneficial for one's physical and mental well-being. There is a long association between Man and the
environment as they are interdependent and balances an ecosystem. Therefore, we must preserve and conserve
nature, not destroy it for our own personal gains.