By: Michael Scholz
There’s a strong correlation between exposure to nature and positive health outcomes. But how much nature do you need to lower your stress level, lift your spirits and protect your health?
And what’s the definition of “nature” anyway?
Measuring a dose of nature is decidedly more difficult than measuring a dose of cough syrup or taking an Aspirin. Important factors include the length of time you spend outdoors in a natural setting, how you experience the world of nature, and what is referred to as “intensity,” or how much nature you’re experiencing. Maybe you’re gazing at a single tree or you might instead be hiking in a mighty forest. It’s a wide spectrum, but researchers are now beginning to close in on some “minimum nature requirements” for healthy living.
Let’s start with the smallest, quickest dose. According to Finnish researcher Kalevi Korpela, “Within 200 milliseconds people react positively when they see images of nature.” That seems like a worthwhile investment of time! It takes only a moment but you’ll notice that your pulse rate will begin to lower as your mood begins to shift to a more positive place. The good news, according to Korpela, is if you don’t have a view of the mountains, a park or even a backyard to gaze at, you can still tap into this well of positivity by simply viewing images of nature.