There are many benefits of Eco therapy, often known as nature therapy. It is one of the most underrated forms of treatment practiced in many cultures worldwide and has a history of success. Being in nature to promote growth and healing, particularly in mental health, is a practice known as nature therapy or Eco therapy.
It may also be referred to as horticulture therapy, green care, green exercise, or green therapy. Though such titles refer to many outdoor activities, they can also refer to specific nature therapy programs. Nature therapy was once considered a simple procedure for individuals who believe they are connected to and rooted in nature. More research is now available to back up this ideology.
The advantages of nature have been extensively researched. In reality, the word “shinrin yoku,” which translates to “forest bathing,” was first used by the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries in 1982.
Nature Increases Activity In Cells That Fight Off Viruses
Airborne compounds like phytoncides, released by many plants to combat disease, also enter our bodies as we wander through the forest and breathe clean air. The body reacts to this by producing more natural killer blood cells, a class of white blood cells that go after virus-infected cells.
Spending a few days outdoors each month may help your natural killer cells perform more effectively and defend you better.
Types – The Benefits Of Eco Therapy For Your Health
Planned activities like strolling along the beach or hiking in a forest can be a part of Eco therapy. You can also take part in more formal strategies, frequently under the direction of a therapist. Although each person’s definition of natural treatment will be different, in general, nature therapy includes:
Farming Or Gardening In The Community
Gardening with neighbors on the common ground allows you to raise your food, form relationships, and spend time outside. Some courses also cover fundamental farming practices, including taking care of livestock or crops.
Adventure Or Wilderness Therapy
Teenagers and young adults participating in this mental health therapy method learn therapeutic skills and coping mechanisms while camping and hiking in the wild alongside their friends.
Park Prescriptions
Many medical and mental health professionals are advocating for individuals to partake in outdoor activities or spend a certain period each week in parks.
Forest Bathing
This practice promotes the focused use of your five senses when you stroll through forests or other environments with plenty of trees, so it’s a little more than a stroll in the park.
Animals Therapy: Another method of reducing stress is petting, interacting with, or working outdoors with animals, including horses, dogs, and birds.
Outdoor Yoga And Meditation
Although yoga and meditation have numerous known advantages, they might be even more beneficial when practiced outside. In addition, many ecotherapy techniques strongly emphasize giving back to the environment by picking up rubbish or planting trees.
Those who suffer from eco-anxiety, or anxiety relating to worries about things like environmental decline and destruction, global warming, or natural disasters, may also benefit from this. Recycling, composting, and reducing driving are simple ways to minimize your carbon footprint and improve the environment.
What Advantages Are There?
Based on the route you take, accessing nature can be relatively cheap and simple. Although feeling at one with nature might be fantastic, you still need to have some human contact. Even outside of formal therapy, you can connect with others. Eco therapy frequently takes place in group therapy settings.
For instance, participating in community gardening might make you feel less alone, introduce you to new people, and strengthen your sense of community. Many people who enjoy hiking and outdoor treks choose to travel in groups to enjoy nature better.
Inspiration To Work Out – The Benefits Of Eco Therapy For Your Health
Numerous ecotherapy techniques will get you up and moving around the house. Even gardening, which may not initially appear to be very physically demanding, requires substantial movement. Of course, exercise may assist with sleep and other elements of physical health.
Still, it can also be beneficial for mental health. Simply breathing in some fresh air might improve one’s mood. Still, exposure to sunlight may have a more noticeable impact on depressive or anxious feelings. You might even try plogging, the official term for cleaning up litter as you jog, to do you and the environment good.
Increased Mindfulness
You’re more prone to experiencing your surroundings through your senses when you spend some time in a natural setting. You can escape traffic, workplace strife, and other everyday stressors by listening to soothing noises like birds chirping or trees rustling.
You can practice concentrating on the present rather than mentally circling unsettling thoughts by turning your gaze onto the surroundings. You might unknowingly develop a mindfulness habit by spending more time in nature.
Methods You Can Use On Your Own – The Benefits Of Eco Therapy For Your Health
True ecotherapy typically requires supervision from a qualified therapist. Still, with these techniques, you can start your own nature-based health business. Just a short safety reminder: When hiking and enjoying hours in a new region, or spending much time outside, always check trail signs and read wildlife or weather warnings. In most public parks, you can find information about potentially dangerous species and risky areas on a webpage.
Take Your Routine Outdoors
If you don’t have much free time to engage in outdoor activities, that’s okay. You can still integrate nature into your daily routine even if you are unable to travel to a forest or beach by bringing some of your regular activities outside:
- Try riding a bicycle or running along park pathways if you’re used to exercising at home or in the gym.
- Enjoy leisure reading or doing paperwork outside. Even taking a seat on a bench beneath a tree has an impact.
- Try a picnic. You can enjoy a meal in a breathtaking natural location and practice mindfulness.
Conclusion
While research on the advantages of ecotherapy for mental health is ongoing, it is safe to claim that nature aids in healing despite not being a miracle treatment.