According to a recent study undertaken by Mental Health in America:
And that’s just our kids. Adults also face steep rates of depression, much of which is caused by lack of access to proper care, other research finds.
“Mental health services in the U.S. are insufficient despite more than half of Americans (56%) seeking help,” says the National Council for Behavioral Health. “Limited options and long waits are the norm, but [there are] some bright spots with 76% of Americans now seeing mental health as important as physical health.”
That’s good news indeed. Better news, if you’re one of the enlightened who knows how important it is to seek out mental health improvement: Nature can help.
As Stanford University explains, not all exercise is created equal. While getting out and moving is beneficial no matter what, there’s a decided difference between walking in an urban setting and walking in the Great Outdoors. They summarize a study from the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science thusly:
“People who walked for 90 minutes in a natural area, as opposed to participants who walked in a high-traffic urban setting, showed decreased activity in a region of the brain associated with a key factor in depression.”
Specifically, the study found that walking in nature reduces rumination, which is “repetitive thought focused on negative aspects of the self” and is “a known risk factor for mental illness.” So, yay less rumination!
The question now becomes: How can you get some of that rumination-less-ness in your own life?
But a lot of people don’t have hours on the weekend, let alone during a packed work week, to get out and hike. Ideally, you would make that time … but what if you can’t? Here are a few of our favorite ideas:
The good news is, that approach is becoming more popular and more possible every day.
For instance, green roofs. Ranging from garage rooftops to decks fifty stories in the air, these elevated environments use rugged plants and innovative landscaping techniques to create greenery on formerly bare roofing membranes and outdoor decks. Voilà: an urban escape that gives you those same mental health benefits without a 2-hour drive.
Other approaches include backyard gardens and rain gardens, or even intensive rooftop gardens – where deeper media allows plants and trees to grow right up over your head.
Do you wish you could experience the beauty and tranquility of nature right there in your home or office? You can, when you work with Ecogardens. Our team would love to tell you more about who we are and what we do, so get in touch today!