By Janine Weisenbeck, LMSW, JD
On an afternoon following school, a tween-year-old boy walks into the kitchen, looking stressed. His mom suggests he take a 10-minute walk with their dog to the local park before dinner – without his phone. He grumbles at first, but he agrees. He returns ten minutes later, looking visibly brighter, smiling, and making more eye contact. He is more talkative than before he left and ends up hanging out in the kitchen with her while she makes dinner. She relishes the engagement with him.
The positive impact of nature exposure on our mental health and well-being is well-known. Still, many of us – children and adults – are not getting enough exposure on a regular basis. At the extreme, Nature Deficit Disorder, while not an official diagnosis in the DSM-5, is the idea that humans are increasingly spending less time in nature and that our mental health is suffering as a result.1 Whether or not a causal relationship between a nature deficit and mental health struggles exists, it is undeniable that this issue is poignant today with pervasive screen usage, remote work, and increased school and work demands that make it difficult to get outside.
The Science of How We Benefit from Experiences in Nature
Experiences in nature improve attention and memory. A walk in nature – and even looking at a picture of nature – has improved attention and working memory,2 an important finding for all of us, particularly those with ADHD. The theory is that we become involuntarily engrossed in fascinating stimuli that nature provides, and, as a result, our direct attention abilities are given time to restore and replenish, making direct attention tasks easier to complete when needed.3
Nature exposure improves mood and reduces anxiety. Studies have found that spending time outdoors in nature reduces symptoms of depression. For instance, more hours spent outdoors in daylight is associated with fewer depression symptoms, such as low mood, a lack of pleasure in activities, and sleep disturbances.4 Further, walking in nature is associated with experiencing an increase in positive emotion and a decrease in anxiety and rumination.5 During nature walks, we reduce the activation of the subgenual prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain that, when activated, is associated with sadness, behavioral withdrawal, and negative self-reflection.6 Being outdoors – particularly in green spaces – is consistently shown to be associated with fewer symptoms of depression and anxiety.
Nature experiences are associated with stress reduction. Walking through trees and natural landscapes has been found to reduce cortisol levels,7 and inflammation in the body – both of which, when higher, are indicators of stress.
How to Help Your Child (and You) Benefit from Nature
Create more opportunities to be in nature. These opportunities can be significant (for example, going to a National Park during a family vacation) or small (for example, choosing to eat breakfast in the backyard rather than in the kitchen). They can be structured (for example, a planned family hike on a Saturday) or unstructured (for example, setting up an easel and paints in the backyard for your child to use). Bring nature to your home by planting a garden or putting a potted plant in your child’s bedroom. If your child is old enough, they can water and care for the plant, which also helps with confidence. Be intentional about creating opportunities to enjoy nature in your schedule and your environment to optimize your child’s exposure to it.
Set a goal for more exposure to nature. Be specific and realistic in your goal setting. For instance, set a goal to take your child out for a 10-minute walk after dinner five nights per week. Or, set a goal to visit one new park each weekend during the summer months. Put these items into the family calendar and check them off as you achieve them as a motivational boost. Remember that even if you do not feel like meeting your nature goal at the time, you will likely feel better after doing so. That said, also remember these goals are not all-or-nothing and that meeting them most of the time is better than none of the time.
Make outdoor time screen-free. Leave your phone at home to avoid any mindless urges to check it. If a device is absolutely necessary, either bring a SmartWatch and put it on Airplane Mode, or pack your phone away in a backpack that is out of visibility range. Give yourself some time to detach from devices to gain the full benefits of being outdoors and give your direct attention abilities a break.
Explain the ‘why’ to your children. Often, children are more willing to follow our guidance if we explain its reasoning. Our explanations do not have to be a lecture but rather a matter-of-fact statement. For instance, for younger children, you could say, “After lunch, we are going to visit the park because it is good for our brains and bodies to get outside.” With an older child, you can provide a more detailed explanation, such as “Getting outside will allow your brain to rest, which will help refresh you for when you need to focus on studying for your science test later.” These explanations should be short, straightforward, and repeated when it feels organic to do so. Repetition is key for children and youth to remember the ‘why’ attached to being outdoors.
Model the importance of being in nature. In addition to explaining why nature benefits us, it is also important to model that you, as a parent, prioritize spending time outdoors – even if you struggle with it. Build time into your day for walks around the block or visits to the park. Explain your choices and how they are helpful to you. You could say, “I am going to walk to clear my head after a long day at work.” Or you could share, “I find that when I eat my lunch at the park instead of at my desk, I am much more productive in the afternoons.” Also, share your struggle with choosing to be in nature rather than an indoor activity. For instance, you could say, “I am feeling tired and really want to read the news on my phone, but I know I will feel better after being outside, so I am going to walk while listening to music instead.” Sharing your struggle helps to normalize that we sometimes need to prioritize outdoor time, even when we feel like doing something different.
Help them notice shifts in mood and concentration after being outdoors. When your child returns from a bike ride with a friend or a walk around the block, you can check in with them about how they are feeling after being outdoors. A simple “Welcome back! How are you feeling after that walk?” can help children turn inward and connect to how they feel in their bodies and minds. Also, you can help your child notice how they may be feeling by expressing what you notice about their presentation. You could say, “Wow! I notice that you have a big smile, and move more quickly after being outside in the backyard.” Simply helping your child notice how they feel after being in nature can create a positive association between them and being outdoors.
Identify nature as a family value. Create a family mission statement that summarizes what your family cares about – and include time in nature as a family value. Your child should be part of this process and can add values that are also important to them. You can write this family mission statement together and hang it where all family members will see it regularly.
With so many demands on our time and devices competing for our attention, it can be difficult to build exposure to nature into our daily lives. However, summer is the ideal opportunity to increase our time outdoors, given the warmer weather and often more flexible schedules. Make it a goal to get outside more this summer – you’ll all benefit from it.
Sources
1 Louv, R. (2008). Last Child in the Woods: Saving our children from Nature-Deficit Disorder. Algonquin Books.
2 Berman, M.G., Jonides, J., Kaplan, S. (2008, December). The cognitive benefits of interacting with nature. Psychological Science, 19 (12), 1207-12.
3 Id.
4 Burns A.C., Saxena R., Vetter C., Phillips A.J.K., Lane J.M., Cain S.W. (2021, December). Time spent in outdoor light is associated with mood, sleep, and circadian rhythm-related outcomes: A cross-sectional and longitudinal study in over 400,000 UK Biobank participants. Journal of Affective Disorders, 295, 347-352.
5 Bratman, G.N., Daily, G.C., Levy, B.J., Gross, J.J. (2015, June). The benefits of nature experience: Improved affect and cognition. Landscape and Urban Planning, 138, 41-50.
6 Bratman G.N., Hamilton J.P., Hahn K.S., Daily G.C., Gross J.J. (2015, July 14). Nature experience reduces rumination and subgenual prefrontal cortex activation. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 112(28), 8567-72.
7 Park, B. J., Tsunetsugu, Y., Kasetani, T., Kagawa, T., & Miyazaki, Y. (2010, January). The physiological effects of Shinrin-yoku (taking in the forest atmosphere or forest bathing: Evidence from field experiments in 24 forests across Japan. Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine, 15(1), 18–26.
8 Mao G.X, Lan X.G., Cao Y.B., Chen Z.M., He Z.H., Lv Y.D., Wang Y.Z., Hu X.L., Wang G.F., Yan J. (2012, June). Effects of short-term forest bathing on human health in a broad-leaved evergreen forest in Zhejiang Province, China. Biomedical and Environmental Sciences, 25(3), 317-24.
Janine is a clinical therapist at Soffer & Associates. She is a licensed master’s level social worker with experience working with individuals and families in a variety of settings. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of Toronto and a Master of Social Work degree at New York University’s Silver School of Social Work. She also has a law degree from Fordham University School of Law. While in law school, she focused on public service and law related to women and families. She worked with asylum-seeking families at the border and in the Community Economic Development Clinic, which assists small nonprofit start-ups and community groups. Janine received the Archibald R. Murray Public Service Award for her pro bono and community work. As a therapist, Janine has worked with clients to address various challenges, including those related to depression, anxiety, familial conflict, and grief and loss. She has trained and worked in numerous settings, including schools and an outpatient clinic. She completed the Clinical Externship at Ackerman Institute for the Family and currently sits on Ackerman’s Board of Directors.
Photo Credit: jacoblund
