November 14, 2017

It’s fall and Mother Nature is beckoning you to get outside and join her majesty today.

Ecotherapy is about getting outdoors and becoming active in a natural environment as a way of boosting mental and physical health. Studies reported decreased levels of depression after a walk in nature. Individuals said they felt less tense after a walk in nature, 90 percent said their self-esteem increased after a walk in nature, and 88 percent of people reported feeling improved mood after their walk in nature. 

4  Ways Our Moods Change When We are in Nature

1.  Connection. We make nature and social connections with animals, trees, clouds and our surroundings.
2. Sensory stimulation. Colors, sounds, fresh air, and wind, all stimulate our senses.
3. Activity. When we are walking and in motion it makes us produce healing, energizing chemicals such as endorphins and serotonin.
4. Escape from our busy lives. We are reflecting, thinking and coming home to our self and this de-stresses and nourishes us.

How to Incorporate “Ecotherapy” into Your Life

1. Take a walk in nature during your lunch.
2. Listen to nature sounds on a nature sound disk or machine a couple of times a week at work.
3. Keep photos of you in nature around your office to remind you of how you love to connect with nature.
4. Keep a plant in your office.
5. Keep a small aquarium in your office with a couple of fish.