Author: Abigail Gauthier

Nature will Nurture

Connections are made all around us. A connection that has been present throughout history is the connection between human beings and nature. Nature surrounds and impacts us whether we are aware of it or not. As our culture becomes more connected through technology, we lose our connection to nature. A new connection with the earth needs to be made. Humans need to be on a more spiritual level with the natural things surrounding them. We as a connected world have dealt with more stress as well as many more mental health issues and behavior problems than past generations. From my own experiences I have realized that the more I get out into nature and leave my busy life behind for a few hours, the calmer and more joyful I become. Many people underestimate the amount of good that a simple walk or even just a gaze outside can do for our health, but I believe that nature has a deep-rooted correlation with our well-being.

As I walk to class in the morning, I put my phone away and focus on the sensations around me. I like to start my day this way because there is evidence that just a simple short walk can improve your cognitive skills and improve your mood. ⁽¹⁾ Personally, I have noticed a real improvement in my own mood and stress levels on days that I get more breaks outside compared to days spent mostly indoors. So next time you are overwhelmed, stressed, or are stuck on that one problem that has been challenging you for weeks I encourage you to take a quick fifteen-minute walk outside (preferably five or more minutes away from any buildings and distractions) and focus on the world around you allowing all the stress of your day to depart from your body and mind.

Nature takes on many unique shapes, all being perfect in their own way. I have always been drawn to very defined geometric shapes with their sharp edges and rigid corners. Over the past year or so I have found a new comfort in the smooth and gentile shapes so often overlooked daily on our short walks to and from work, the store, home, etc. These shapes may not look perfect in most of our eyes, but nature has a way of creating the right shapes and conditions to benefit all that is near. Most of the brains behind these perfect shapes are so small that we can not see them with our naked eye. Way down under the forest floor there are organisms called Mycorrhiza that send messages through the area so that if one tree or plant becomes infected then the others can create new conditions within themselves to protect against the infection. Not only does nature create a happier and healthier environment for us but it also creates a happier and healthier environment in general.

There are many freeing properties that nature provides to us. Our connection to nature is started the moment we are brought into this world and only grows with intensity as we mature. This comes to help us as we age and has been proven to give those with dementia and Alzheimer’s short breaks from some side effects of their condition. While these folks have forgotten how to tie their shoes or use cooking tools, when given the task to plant some seedlings they excel. ⁽²⁾ I could not even imagine how freeing it must be to those patients who need help completing basic life skills everyday to be able to plant a garden independently. Much like the dementia and Alzheimer’s patients, individuals with Tourette’s syndrome can also receive some independence from their ticks though nature.  It is unknown scientifically why nature has a calming property that affects us ⁽²⁾ , but it is still used as a basis of several therapies and lifestyles. I have tried some of these exercises myself and have found that it really is an individual experience and that not everyone benefits from in the same way, but most will express that it helps in one way or another.

            Every person on this earth has a connection to nature in some way however it is dependent on each individual person to find the meaningfulness in their relationship with their own natural surrounding environment. I believe that many human beings are not fully aware of the benefits we can gain from having a strong connection with nature. Globally we should be spreading the change in how we interact and create relationships and connections to the nature around you and I. I am going to evoke that change by leaving you with a challenge that everyone, young and old can participate in. As we grow older, I encourage you to get out in nature more, soak up some happiness, and make a meaningful connection before it’s too late.

•  Hutchinson A. (2015) How Trees Calm Us Down
• Sacks O. (2019) Oliver Sacks: The Healing Power of Trees. New York Times

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