The affective benefits of nature exposure

Abstract

Mounting evidence demonstrates that nature exposure can have affective benefits. These include behavioral and psychophysiological responses consistent with (a) decreases in stress and negative affect; and (b) increases in subjective well‐being and positive affect. What is less clear, however, is what mechanisms are responsible for these effects. In this article, we examine the evidence for affective impacts of nature exposure, consider underlying mechanisms (with a focus on affect regulation), and discuss what might moderate these effects at the individual and population level. We end by pointing to future research directions and practical applications. This includes investigations into the range of effects and duration of their impact, harnessing knowledge about temporal dynamics for insights into causal mechanisms, broadening the discussions around moderators and effect modifications to include diverse perspectives on the relationship between nature exposure and psychological well‐being, and integrating findings into existing frameworks from public health.

Nature versus urban hiking for Veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder: a pilot randomised trial conducted in the Pacific Northwest USA

“…25 Nature contact has been shown to increase subjective well-being; decrease stress, anxiety, depression and negative affect; and promote adaptive shifts in emotion regulation. 25 26 Benefits of nature contact are generally posited to occur based on two theories: attention restoration theory (ART) and stress recovery theory (SRT). 27 28 ART theorises that nature contact improves cognitive function through a replenishment of 'directed attention', a capacity that is overly taxed in urban environments due to the need to block out distracting stimuli (eg, noise) to focus on a specific task or cognitive process.…”

“…SRT is based on psychoevolutionary principles, and posits that many types of nature exposure enhance psychological wellbeing through a precognitive, positive affective response and activation of the parasympathetic nervous system in ways that reduce stress and sympathetic nervous system arousal. 26 29 30 Like nature contact, physical activity (PA) is considered to be a promising approach to improve outcomes for individuals with PTSD. PA reduces anxiety and depression and improves stress regulation, sleep and cognitive functioning in the general population, 10 11 31 and in people with PTSD, though only 8 studies have involved randomised controlled trial (RCT) designs, 4 32-39 and 5 of the RCTs were pilot studies or included fewer than 30 people.…”

The Mediating Effect of Nature Restorativeness, Stress Level, and Nature Connectedness in the Association between Nature Exposure and Quality of Life

“…Stress can exert various actions on the body, ranging from alterations in homeostasis to life-threatening effects and death [ 3 ]. Stress is defined as the process by which an individual responds psychologically, physiologically, and often with behaviors, to a situation that challenges or threatens well-being [ 4 ]. Studies show that stress is negatively associated with quality of life (QoL) [ 5 , 6 ].…”

Use of the Natural Outdoor Environment in Different Populations in Europe in Relation to Access: Implications for Policy

“…Engaging with NOE can also provide opportunities for social interaction and promote community cohesion [ 15 , 16 , 17 ] and enhance vitality and mood [ 16 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 ]. It is beyond the scope of this paper to explore the underlying mechanisms of these wide-ranging benefits, though readers are directed to Bratman, Olvera-Alvarez and Gross [ 22 ] who explore theories such as the biophilia hypothesis and attention restoration theory.…”