They say more green can make you healthier. No, not that kind of green. Money may help your wallet’s health, but for your body, getting out in nature may be the best bet.
This last year has definitely forced us to redefine our dusty concepts of “health and happiness.” Just as the besuited folks at Schwab recently proved we may be rethinking definitions of financial health, the Loseit blog recently offered up a wider view of our usual concepts of “healthy vs. unhealthy.”
Rather than focusing solely on our current physical state, we should look at our mental and social development, and that includes our relationship to the usually bustling cities or suburbs we live in.
According to a few recent studies cited by Loseit, it’s apparent that “accessing more green spaces in your home and in your community helps decrease anxiety, stress, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder while improving life satisfaction, memory, creativity, productivity, attention, and self-esteem.”
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A PMC study specifically showed that “having more green areas in the community increased physical health, mental health, and health equity across the entire population.”
Of course we don’t all have Yosemite right down the block. But it turns out simply raising some plants in your garden, on your apartment’s window sills, or even in your work office can offer similar mental cleansing, stress reduction, and reduce feelings of loneliness.
Another study, this one from the American Psychological Association, found that “employees in a room with plants performed a memory test 19% faster than the control group in a room without plants.”
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And really, you’re never as far from nature as you think. The National Parks Service and National Forest Service are great sources for finding some green space for you and your loved ones to visit nearby.
Or better yet, bike. Your body, and your wallet, will thank you. Here’s to more green all around!
For more ideas on how you can save the planet, visit 1Thing.
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