In his book The Nature Principle: Human Restoration and the End of Nature-Deficit Disorder, Richard Louv says we are genetically wired to need nature. As well as lowering blood pressure, reducing pain, strengthening our immune systems and reducing the risk of many types of cancers, nature has a profound effect on our mental health.
Depression levels plummet, we can focus better, think more creatively and feel far less stressed. “The more high-tech our lives become, the more nature we need to balance it out,” he warns. Louv isn’t anti-tech – he loves his screen time as much as the rest of us – but says there has to be balance if we’re to avoid burnout. If we are spending most of the day in front of a screen, we are blocking out the majority of our senses – even the ones we’re not aware of – because we’re focusing on that screen.
Get outside during your lunch break and take a walk around the block, or eat your lunch in the sun. Try to stand up and walk around for a few minutes every hour t stretch your legs and give your eyes a break from the screen. Lastly, try adding some greenery to your office space – a desk plant is a great way to detoxify the air and soothe the mind.
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Back to nature with forest therapy
