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Leah Russell2 min

Why does nature help our bodies to heal?

August 22, 2023

by Dr David R Hamilton Hospital patients recover faster if a window in their room offers them a view of nature rather than, say, a car park or another hospital building. That’s the conclusion of research that compared patients with the same medical conditions, but whose beds were in rooms with different views. There’s a good reason for this. Throughout the whole span of human history – from aeons ago until the present day – we humans have spent 99.99% of our time in natural surroundings and only 0.01% of our time in built-up surroundings.

Our relationship with nature

Our ancient ancestors lived their lives in a state of relative calm in comparison to the hustle and bustle of modern human life. Each day, they saw green grass, leafy trees and blue skies. They heard birdsong, running water and the sounds of wildlife at night. They smelt flowers and other natural scents carried by the breeze. Gradually, as the vast wheels of time turned, their state of calm became associated with this sensory experience of nature. Winding the clock forward to the present day, we humans bear the legacy of those vast expanses of time in natural settings. When we experience nature in any way – whether it’s a stroll in the park, spending time in the garden, a walk in the woods, or even a view of a green space out of a window – the human nervous system tends towards calm all by itself. And when the nervous system calms, each of our internal systems start to work more optimally, from our repair mechanisms and the immune system to the cardiovascular system and even our pain management systems. Simply put, we heal faster in nature.

Nature’s effect on healing

The effect of nature is so strong that research has even found that patients experience less pain, have lower blood pressure and heart rates, and experience less fatigue and anxiety when a hospital room contains plants. Some researchers believe that since we’re so attuned to the experience of nature, being deprived of nature is actually harmful. Some believe that it might be one of the reasons why modern humans get sick so often. Nature even helps us live longer, healthier lives. Blue zones are regions of the world, like Sardinia in Italy, Okinawa in Japan, Icaria in Greece, Nicoya in Costa Rica, and Loma Linda in the San Bernardino valley of California, USA, that have the highest percentage of people who live to over the age of 100. Not only do they have longer lifespans, but they have longer health spans (the number of ‘healthy’ years a person lives), too. Blue zone residents tend to eat a whole-foods, plant-based diet and walk rather than drive. As well as this, all blue zones villages and towns are embedded in natural surroundings. Nature invites us to live our lives at a slower, healthier pace. It helps spare us some of the stress that’s associated with modern living. It asks us to ‘stop and smell the roses’ and promises that it’ll be worth it if we do. It helps us feel relaxed, manage ourselves better, and even heal faster. What can you do today to experience more nature in your life? The answer might just change your life. Read the full article in our March/April 2023 issue.