professional neglect is rapidly changing. T e fi eld of ecopsychology has produced more than 100 authoritative studies linking nature to not only physical, but mental health. Researchers have found that spending time in nature settings helps lower stress, anxiety and depression, boosts positive mood, improves resilience and immune response, increases life ex- pectancy, decreases anger, reduces blood pressure, eases computer fatigue and enhances energy, concen- tration and cognitive functioning. Recently, Danish researchers found that children raised in


the least-green neighborhoods were 55 percent more likely to develop a serious mental illness than children that grew up in the greenest neighborhoods, regardless of social standing, affl u- ence or parental mental illness. A British study of nearly 20,000 people published in Scientifi c Reports concluded that spending at least two hours a week in nature, whether in brief breaks or long stretches, is an optimal amount of time to feel a sense of better health and well-being. Putting these fi ndings in motion, doctors, therapists,


naturopaths, nurse practitioners and other health providers are increasingly suggesting and prescribing time in nature, espe- cially for children. As of July 2018, there were 71 provider-based nature-prescription programs in 32 states, potentially involving hundreds of thousands of patients, according to a survey by the


How to Practice Personal Ecopsychology


nSpend two hours or more each week outdoors in natural settings, in either short or long blocks of time.


nTake a free online course to gain an in-depth understanding of ecopsychology at Tinyurl.com/IntroEcopsychology.


nRead books like Vitamin N: T e Essential Guide to a Nature-Rich Life, by Richard Louv, or T e Nature Fix: Why Nature Makes Us Happier, Healthier, and More Creative, by Florence Williams.


nBring plants, fl owers, seashells, pebbles and other reminders of nature into work and home settings.


nGarden outdoors or keep a kitchen herb garden indoors. nJoin a local birdwatching group. nUse nature scenes as wall art and screensavers.


nVisit WalkWithADoc.org to join in a one-hour group walk with a local doctor.


nFind more ideas at RunWildMyChild.com/incorporating- nature-into-daily-life.


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January 2020 13


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There is a sense of safety that comes from being in the forest. Safety is necessary in order for the client to open up and share themselves with another human being.


~Christian Dymond


Institute at the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy. Ecopsychology research programs


are opening at medical centers and universities, and ecotherapy classes are being added to academic degree programs for therapists. Major health insurers are fi nancing pilot programs to measure time- in-nature outcomes, and electronic health records are starting to include nature


prescriptions, as well as pharmaceuticals. Happily, it’s a therapy that can be self-prescribed. Aſt er Laura


Durenberger, who blogs at ReduceReuseRenewBlog.com, gave birth to her son, she found symptoms of her generalized anxiety disorder at an all-time high, and ultimately linked it to rarely leaving her house. When she goes too long without being outside, she says, “My anxiety spikes. I am irritable. My energy is low. I don’t feel motivated or creative.” Now, even during the fi erce Minneapolis winters, she is


dedicated to spending half an hour a day in nature: “Aſt er my time outdoors, I feel grounded, renewed, energized and much more clearheaded than before I started.” As ecotherapist Dymond puts it: “Nature is always there for


people to heal themselves in.”


Ronica A. O’Hara is a Denver-based health writer. Contact her at OHaraRonica@gmail.com.


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