• City dwellers are at greater risk of mental health issues than their rural counterparts, studies show.
• A forest ‘bath’ – immersing yourself in nature – can have a positive effect on your amygdala, the part of the brain that registers stress.
• Creating many more urban green spaces would also help, says a neurobiologist.

“I’m going to the countryside over the weekend to disconnect.”

This is a common refrain among people who, overwhelmed by the big city, seek to spend a few days in nature as a means of escape. We all know it works – a couple of days spent in rural relaxation and we return with our batteries recharged.

The sheer concentration of people in urban areas is growing faster than desired. Currently, more than half of the world’s population lives in cities and the proportion is expected to continue to rise. It is estimated that, by 2050, seven out of ten people in the world will live in large municipalities. Many of us will spend up to 90% of our lives within buildings.

Life in the city has its advantages, but it also poses a significant mental health risk. In fact, mood disorders, anxiety and depression are up to 56% more common in urban settings than in rural ones.

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The advantages of immersing oneself in a relaxing forest ‘bath’

A recent study has shown that repeated exposure to natural environments has a positive effect on amygdala (a mechanism in the brain that allows nature to change our perception of things.) activity. People in frequent contact with nature present less activity in their amygdala during stressful situations.

Interacting with the environment is, therefore, a way to improve mental health. The Japanese have a word for it: shinrin-yoku or “forest bathing”.

Many other studies have reached the same conclusion. They show that contact with nature increases our feeling of happiness and decreases mental anguish, since this contact reduces negative emotions and stress.

It also gives us greater capacity to manage daily tasks, improving the ability of the so-called “working memory”, which allows us to temporarily store information in the brain. To this we must add an improvement in cognitive function – attention, memory, orientation – both in adults and children, with benefits in terms of imagination, creativity and school performance.

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Source
José A. Morales García
World Economic Forum / The Conversation