Forest Therapy- The Benefits of Taking A Vacation in Nature
We have all felt the sensation of clear-headedness and relief when taking long walks in the woods and understood that nature is the perfect choice to escape from stress for a little bit. However, it turns out there are many other benefits of choosing a vacation in nature. Read below how nature travel can have a restorative effect of cognitive and emotional function, your body, and benefit your budget.
What is forest therapy?
Forest therapy is simpler than you might imagine. It is nothing more than just immersing yourself gently in nature to feel the sunlight on your skin and fill your lungs with fresh air. There is nothing more relaxing than being in nature and connecting with a healthy environment filled with sights and smells that promote mental and physical wellbeing. Since spending quality time in nature can yield amazing health benefits, taking a nature vacation can help you improve your overall good health and leave behind any pressure or deadline from back home.
Escape the urban jungle
In today’s world, we all live in a modern and busy concrete jungle that keeps us agitated all day long. From nine-to-five jobs, commuting for several hours every day, to numerous daily tasks, we all have to deal with busy lifestyles that leave us no time to breath. Many people spend workdays indoors, in front of computers and exposed to fluorescent lights and return to their homes where they stay in the glow of their smartphones or television screens. Researchers have suggested that people who live in urban areas are more likely to develop mental health issues due to the high exposure to stress and unhealthy factors such as pollution or low air quality. On the other hand, it has been shown that people who live in rural areas, closer to natural environments, have overall better life quality and fewer risks of developing health issues. Taking a vacation to nature is a great way to take a break from the urban jungle and benefit from all the good things nature can offer us.
Green for wellbeing
Traveling itself is a great activity that can have numerous benefits. We all love to travel to new destinations where we can discover and experience new places, cultures, or traditions. However, traveling in nature seems to be the most recommended if you wish your trip to fully reset yourself.
Scientists have proved a million times that spending time in nature has numerous health benefits.
Humans need to spend time in natural environments if they want to improve and maintain their physical and mental health. Nowadays, people deal with numerous health problems due to the lack of physical activity. Spending several hours in an office in front of a computer and having the opportunity to use personal cars for commuting or getting from a place to another have made individuals be less active. However, a trip to nature is a great way to get you moving and exercise. Physical activity has been proved to be a great way for people to relax and improve overall wellbeing. Moreover, spending time in nature positively impacts brainpower promoting concentration and creative thinking. Also, the exposure to sunlight leads to the process of the creation and activation of vitamin D which strengthens bones and helps prevent specific types of cancer.
Encourages mindfulness
One of the biggest drawbacks of the development of humanity and technology is that it has severely affected our mental wellbeing. Within the last several years, our lifestyles have changed completely together with the discoveries and changes that have appeared to our world. Technology has brought us innovation and made everything more effective. However, it has also made us lose the connection humans used to have with nature and focus most of our attention on the screens of our devices. The complex changes, the busy lifestyles, and the intensive use of connectivity have negative impacts on the mental wellbeing of all of us. Practicing mindfulness is an effective tool to restore mental energy.
The concept of mindfulness is rapidly gaining a lot of fame among all of us. Even though its practice is as old as human history, people are still trying to define what it really means. Broadly, practicing mindfulness implies deliberately turning your focus to sounds, smells, and other details of the surrounding environment. Nature encourages and promotes mindfulness simply by the complexity of the environment. Researchers have shown that while in nature, people’s brains respond differently. The frontal lobe has a decreased activity which is responsible for our analytical thinking and increases alpha waves for a calmer state. As mindfulness is about being in the present moment with awareness, without rejecting the moment or allowing your mind to slip on different thoughts, practicing it in nature is extremely easy. The calm and relaxed state that nature promotes allows your mind to let go of all the stress or bad thoughts, encouraging you to connect with the experience of being in a natural environment.
Nature vacations are affordable
One of the most amazing reasons why you should choose to take a vacation in nature is that they are extremely affordable. Traveling on a regular basis can be expensive. No matter how much you would feel the need to get out of your town and explore a new place, your budget might stop you. However, traveling in nature is a great way to connect with the world and with yourself without spending a fortune. Instead of paying a large amount of money to go to busy touristic places and lavish hotels, nature is for free and you will have a million stars trip. All you need is a tent, an electric bug zapper to keep flying insects away, and campfire supplies. There are plenty of natural wonders such as national parks, hidden caves, waterfalls, and green mountains that you can enjoy and experience for free.
There are numerous advantages of taking a vacation in nature. It is definitely fun as there are numerous activities that you can do such as hiking, canoeing, or caving that will keep you entertained. Also, you can connect with Mother Nature while enjoying the benefits of spending time outside.
