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“Nature gives to every time and season some beauties of its own." - Charles Dickens

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Nature is the best Healer

in Outdoors Inspiration
Created: 29 November 2016

Photo taken at Skagit Valley Tulip Festival, Mount Vernon, Skagit County 

According to statistics, more and more people become residents of large cities. We quickly get used to the city; it lures us into its tempo and rhythm. And very often amidst all the hustle and bustle of our life there we do not realize how frazzled, stressed and worn out we became. 

It is quite interesting that in spite of the fact that there are a huge amount of various articles on this topic, and scientists are conducting numerous researches in this field, but still the vast majority of city dwellers rarely remember about the easiest way to unload themselves from the burden of thousands of problems and issues they have to resolve in their everyday life and to escape from this strenuous, killing pace of life, giving rest to their body and brain. 

Mankind originated and for thousands of years existed in midst of nature. The habit of urban life emerged only recently and has not yet had time to gain a foothold genetically. And as we find ourselves in the nature, we feel an amazing sense of peace and calmness, consonant with the outside world and with our individual self.

Photo taken at Seattle Japanese Garden

Feel yourself the refreshing and beneficial influence of nature during a hike or an easy stroll. When you are in nature your blood pressure goes down, the silence delights the ear and envelops the body, and of course moving in the open air is much easier and more ravishing than indoors. Physical activity is especially useful in the nature and besides of that brings lots of fun for kids. Amazing nature of Washington State presents excellent opportunities to improve your physical health and bring in order your state of mind.

Nature has always invigorated people, giving them strength and health. In the past people’s lives depended largely on nature. Today, for most people time spent outdoors in the midst of unbelievably beautiful landscape brings some special peace of mind and opens many options of outdoor activities. It doesn’t matter what you chose – a pleasant stroll among the trees along the narrow paths of some city park or camping and hiking in the mountains, exploring the beauty of pristine nature – you will only benefit from this, maintaining your health and resisting the general deterioration of health in modern society, resulting from decreased physical activity and sedentary lifestyle. 

Photo taken from the summit of Crystal Mountain Resort

Nature has a positive effect on health and well-being, at least in three areas:

• Physical activity increases in the open air: nature implies movement. Even without noticing it, in nature we move much faster and more vigorously than indoors, even the physical exercises seem easier.

Pure and beautiful nature is the best place for sports. In nature’s lap attention is concentrated not only on the physical exercises, but also on the environment. Therefore, hike in the woods can often seem less strenuous than going in for sports indoors. In contrast to the urban environment, a variety of natural landscapes and sceneries provide an opportunity for a more agile and lightsome walk.

• Nature revivifies man to life and helps to recover from stress: the attention concentration improves, and the heart rate, as well as blood pressure, decrease.

Picturesque landscapes, sounds and smells help to free our mind from tasks requiring concentration. Nature helps the body to rest and recover from all the accumulated stress and the brain to work well. 

Rapidly developing information overload and the lifestyle, where most of the day is spent in front of a computer screen and other electronic equipment, set certain requirements for brain health and efficiency. Tasks which require sustained attention predispose to stress and fatigue. Our creativity and concentration deteriorate, if the brain at least from time to time does not get a chance to recover from the strain

David Strayer, a well-known cognitive psychologist from the University of Utah, who studies peculiarities of attention, claims that nature and beautiful landscapes help to relieve stress and increase the efficiency of the brain. He conducted numerous experiments to prove his theories. 

One of the experiments was conducted with 54 volunteers, whose average age was 28 years, to prove that a camping trip to the woods for 3-6 days, during which it was forbidden to use electronic devices, significantly improves the mental abilities of people. The participants of the experiment were tested firstly at the beginning of the camping trip and then after it. The results showed that initially they received in average 4,14 points and after the camping – 6,08 points.

Photo taken at the Mount Fremont Lookout Trail, Mount Rainier National Park

In another experiment, 22 student volunteers went for a hiking trip. Again, tests have shown that they were able to solve the problem tasks and perform creative assignments after three days of the trip up to 50% more efficient than before the trip.

As a result of his experiments David Strayer discovered "the effect of three days." He believes that the nature and beautiful scenery is an excellent remedy for stress and a way to improve brain functioning, and in order for it to work, it is enough to stay outdoors for three days. He compares staying in nature to shine washing the windshield of your car – in both cases, as he says, the picture of the world becomes clear.

• Staying on nature contributes social well-being and sense of community: we positively respond to other people, and our mood gets better pretty quickly.

Nowadays, social isolation and loneliness is a common phenomenon in many countries, both in cities and in remote areas. Scientific evidence shows that surrounding us natural environment has properties that make people feel better, even socially. Proximity to nature, staying and working in nature makes people to deliberate and to think more positively not only about themselves but also about other people! Staying alone in nature is perceived better than in the urban environment. Nature strengthens the sensations: a sense of community and of belonging to a place and unified whole can be increased.

Even a short walk in nature is beneficial!

Another researcher Matilda van den Bosch has studied the influence of virtual nature on a person. Her experimental were subjected to stress: they solve complex problems on the speed or were interviewed for a job. They were then sent to a virtual forest with beautiful views and birds singing. As a result, their heart rate quickly returned to normal, which means that the virtual nature also has a calming effect on us.

All this proves that many of us already knew intuitively: nature helps us to get rid of stress and picturesque landscape heals!

That is why we would like to offer you an amazing relaxation video, which will wash you stress away and will help you to relax and feel refreshed.

 

 

To see more Nature Relaxation Videos you may subscribe to our Relaxation Channel, offering numerous incredible nature relaxation videos, which will help you to deal with everyday strain and tension of the modern life:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCg72Hd6UZAgPBAUZplnmPMQ?sub_confirmation=1

If you want to enjoy our Relaxation Videos in fantastic 4K quality, you may order them at http://www.beautifulwashington.com/shop/nature-relaxation-videos/

 

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Photo: Roman Khomlyak

Photo Editing: Juliana Voitsikhovska

Information: Svetlana Baranova

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