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Many of us spend long days cooped up indoors working and staring at our computer/phone screens for several hours, whether you work a desk job or not. Long hours on the computer screen lead to feeling drained, eye strain, loss of focus, agitation and restlessness. If you are experiencing job burnout, you may be affected by these symptoms at an increased level.
Nature has the ability to help boost our health on several levels. We are both nature lovers, and tend to go for walks when we are stressed or spend long days camping in the summer when we are not working. Regardless, we always come back feeling totally refreshed!
There are many reasons for this, in this blog we will explain how nature is medicine and how it can impact your health in a positive way.
The Benefits of Being in Nature
- Sun Exposure
The sun is known as the best source to obtain vitamin D. Vitamin D plays a vital role in protecting us from many diseases such as osteoporosis, cancer, and depression (2). Chronic stress exposure, often seen in burnout, can increase your risk of these diseases, thus, vitamin D is crucial in protecting your overall health.
- Maintains Eyesite
Excessive screen exposure can strain the eye muscles and lead to irritation, dryness, fatigue and this can impact your vision.
Many jobs require you to look at a computer screen for most of the day. Tell us, on your breaks, do you find yourself looking at your phone? Don’t lie, do you take your phone into the washroom too? We all have different awareness levels and different beliefs about how much is too much screen time.
When we take a walk in nature the eyes focus on many different objects around us. This allows for a more relaxed gaze, thus, the eyes roam in a more natural way. Opposed when working on a computer we use a fixed gaze, that requires constant activation of certain muscles that become fatigued with time. Furthermore, nature refreshes the eyes and gives the muscles a break. Your refreshed eyes will provide you with better focus and productivity when you return to work (4)
- Calming the Mind
Is your head full of noise? Is the hustle and bustle of work life getting to you?
When stress and exhaustion are in play, they tend to dominate the mind with excessive chatter. This chatter is often thinking about the past or worrying about the future. The chatter is noisy so it can cloud your judgement. When your judgement is clouded, it can effect your ability to make decisions that suit you best. All of this excessive noise can cause unnecessary brain fog, difficulty concentrating, anxiety, depression and mood swings.
Whether you’re in a quiet forest, near a flowing river, or on a quiet lake, the outdoors help quiet the mind. The calming and quiet aspect of nature helps to pull us into the present moment. Our senses expand through seeing what is around us, smelling the fragrances and hearing the sounds of the wind or birds, pulling us into presence. This will help you to feel more grounded and peaceful, which will foster feelings of joy and happiness. Only when our minds are in presence will the noisy chatter stop, then we make decisions that best serve ourselves from a place of clarity.
- Connecting with Others
When you are feeling exhaustion from a job that is stressful, at times, you may find yourself so drained that you have little desire to connect with others and prefer to be left alone. This is what is referred to as social isolation, a common symptom of burnout.
Connection with others is important for our mental and emotional health. As nature helps calm the mind, creating a sense of presence, it is an environment that can help to create space, so that you have the energy to connect with a friend or family member. This connection time can leave you feeling uplifted and revitalized.
- Staying in Shape
Many different studies have shown that staying inside, sitting in a chair or on the couch all day, is not good for physical health or mental health.
Getting out in nature and moving (ie: biking, skiing, walking, running, skateboarding) gets the heart pumping, increases oxygen to our body and can cause the release of endorphins (“feel good hormones”). A refreshed body, not only makes us feel physically better but also provides a reset on our minds, helping improve our emotional (mood) and cognitive (focus and concentration) states.
- Opens up our Creative Minds
If you are in a job that depends on your creativity, this one is for you. The quieting of the mind from being out in nature can help with clearing up that writers block and help access our creative side. Also, the beauty of nature’s landscapes and habitats provides inspiration, helping to open the mind’s creativity. Keep in mind that you don’t have to journey far to get this inspiration, a simple walk in your nearby park can do the job (3)
- Enhances the Immune System:
Chronic stress can have a negative impact on the immune system. There is evidence to support that breathing in chemical, phytoncides, which is produced by plants, increases our white blood cells count (the soldiers that fight off invaders – virus, bacteria, fungi) and helps to protect us from infection.
Get Out There and See for Yourself
Nature is some of the best medicine and it’s free! It helps to fill us when we are feeling depleted emotionally, physically, and mentally (job burnout).
Try and get out for at least 20min a day.
Get out for a walk on your lunch break, before or after a long day of work. There are so many beautiful ways to enjoy nature, a walk in a forest, bike along the ocean, hike in the mountains, sitting in a garden. For the city people out there go on a path that has some trees or sit in a nearby park. You do not need to be immersed in a full forest to get the healing benefits that nature has to offer.
Honor yourself by taking the time to soak in the beauty and benefits that nature offers.
What are some of your favourite ways to experience nature connection?
References
(1) https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/70548/11-scientific-benefits-being-outdoors
(2) https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/vitamin-d-from-sun#time-of-day
(3) https://www.nathab.com/blog/want-a-creativity-boost-take-a-walk-in-nature/
(5) https://positivepsychology.com/positive-effects-of-nature/