Introduction
Interaction with nature has a variety of positive influences on both physical and mental health, but recent trends suggest that exposure to a natural environment is becoming limited. Primary factors limiting this interaction include the lack of time and the desire to spend time doing indoor activities. Children, students, and employees with extensive work hours are particularly vulnerable to barriers that prevent exposure to nature and the outdoors. As such, the following paper aims to outline four concepts and related approaches that can increase the amount of time individuals spend outdoors and the potential improvements in health that can be observed.
Concepts Defining Human-Nature Interactions and their Implications
First, physical activity is essential in maintaining current health or reducing the risk of health complications. The introduction of more physically active tasks to a student’s routine can expose them to greater movement and time outdoors. Second, the concept of play defines behaviors in which students interact with topography in ways that impact socialization, experimentation, and physical abilities. Third, healthy eating may be the leading factor in improving physical health and can be greatly influenced by nature. Components like community gardens and green spaces promote healthy food consumption, self-sufficiency, and natural culture. Fourth, cognitive functions have been noted to be increased when in a natural environment. Further assessments must be made with students exposed to nature versus those that are not. In the case that cognitive function is increased and stress is decreased, certain structural changes should be made in order to facilitate more time spent in nature. The aim of this paper is to introduce structural changes that influence student behaviors to be more connected to nature. Such efforts would likely create a balance of time spent in natural versus urban settings in order to reduce stress.
The first concept, physical activity, has the potential to provide students with healthy ways to maintain or decrease weight. Significant weight gain presents a number of health complications, such as coronary diseases, decreased mobility, or even diabetes (Brown, 2018). Certain data suggests that individuals residing in greener areas had significantly less weight gain than those that are settled in urban areas. Many individuals lack the space in their own living areas to maintain routine-driven and effective strategies for physical activity. As such, it is vital that the curriculum and the environment of the student working and living spaces allow for physical activity of necessary levels. All students have varying needs or preferences in physical activities. Similarly, not all students may want to engage in traditional sports or working out methods in order to maintain health. More accessible alternatives should be considered, such as walking or stretching. Using the first concept, it is suggested that community-led events that engage in physical activity should be formulated and promoted frequently. Due to the social and outdoor aspects, individuals that feel like they lack time or space for physical activity may find it more affordable (Olafsdottir et al., 2020). In-school activities can allow them to decrease travel and spending on sporting items or gym memberships.
The second concept of play may initially sound like a component necessary for children or younger learners but it is vital for all life stages. Engagement with nature can decrease with age, and as such, many benefits of this interaction may be lost with time (Corazon et al., 2019). Exposure to natural topography, vegetation, and obstacles provides individuals with physical and intellectual barriers that can be approached like a problem needing solving. Essentially, it generates natural cognitive reactions and development from direct exposure to natural landscapes. Within a student’s busy schedule, it is unlikely that many individuals can allow themselves the freedom of this form of exploration and cognitive function development. As such, it is the role of the school to facilitate even the most minor opportunities to engage with this behavior of interaction and problem-solving. This can be done by prioritizing projects and construction engaged with nature, such as tree planting, landscaping, community gardens, or the care of local fauna. Certain endeavors may be more capital and labor-consuming, but many efforts, such as activities including nature maintenance or studying in the outdoors, can be easily introduced into the existing curriculum.
Healthy eating, the third concept, is the likely leading factor in creating and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Increased fruit and vegetable consumption is likely to introduce numerous health benefits, from the better accumulation of vitamins to less consumption of unhealthy fats and high intakes of sugar. However, many students currently lack effective dietary plans, resources, and routines. If studying, work, or other engagements consume the extensive time of a student’s day, they may be unable to cook or maintain a community garden to eat healthily (Devlin, 2018). As such, prior to installing community gardens and other green spaces related to food production, it is essential that the academic facility leaders introduce integral education regarding the growth of natural foods, balanced and personalized diets, and possibly even workshops on maintaining self-grown plant life.
Regardless of age, observation of natural elements and landscapes allows individuals to perform better in cognitive functions, especially when completing tasks requiring attention. According to the fourth concept, even simply viewing greenery throughout one’s day can limit disorganization, forgetfulness, and distraction (Bratman et al., 2019). Studies have depicted that the amount of nature does not cause much variation in cognitive efforts and that even minimal greenery can influence cognitive functions in a positive way. As such, it is vital to observe whether students perceive appropriate amounts of nature in their living spaces and work areas. In the case that certain areas of the school fail to expose learners to the outdoors, it is vital to implement plans to increase greenery on school grounds. Larger areas such as meeting spaces, libraries, or dorms likely need the most exposure to nature as students are likely to spend most of their time in such areas. It would also be beneficial to conduct surveys before and after implementing more greenery throughout the school to see changes in stress, work patterns, and self-organization.
Conclusion
The lack of available green spaces and the unavailability of many students poses a difficult dilemma. If current patterns are to continue, students may find fewer opportunities to engage with nature and may begin to see even more drastic changes to their physical and mental well-being. As such, it is integral that changes are made following the four outlined concepts in order to improve well-being, reduce stress, and increase the work quality of the students. The most visible changes include adding greenery to the surrounding environment, introducing community-driven outdoor activities, and promoting healthy eating. Additional systemic changes should follow to ensure that a healthy lifestyle is available to all students.
References
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