Despite the urbanization and industrialization of the modern
man, there existed a time in which man and nature were one. In order for humans
to coexist with nature and each other, we have developed a complex and
sophisticated social means for cooperation in order to survive. Many mood
disorders such as depression and anxiety may even be attributed to our removal
from our natural environment while still possessing this primordial hardwiring.
اضافة اعلان
John S. Price, who has researched our evolution from
prehistoric to modern-day, explains anxiety disorders in function of how our
ancestors used it to survive. He hypothesized that anxiety and depression work
in conjunction with one another in order to form community hierarchy in a term
he dubbed as “functional agonism”. Based on his hypothesis, he goes on to
explain that depression helps to prevent rebellion by essentially numbing an
individual, and generalized anxiety promotes reconciliation in order to find
safety within a community.
Since nature was an integral part of human survival it should
come as no surprise that being removed from our natural environment has subtle
ramifications on our mental health. In a meta-review published in 2010,
research was done in order to investigate the impacts of nature experience on
physical and mental health. In this study, self-reported emotions were recorded
and evaluated for statistical significance. The criteria included
revitalization, anxiety, anger, fatigue, and depression, all of which had shown
improvement.
What happens inside our bodies?
In our day-to-day lives, we are bombarded with emotions and
process them subconsciously. Emotions like fear, anxiety, stress, depression,
and lethargy are all a part of our daily lives. From a physiological standpoint
our emotions can be explained by the inner workings of our body as well as the
situations surrounding it. Within our bodies we have something called the
autonomous nervous system (ANS). The ANS is divided in two divisions, the
sympathetic (SNS) and parasympathetic nervous system (PNS). The SNS is
associated with increased heart rate, dilation of the pupils, inhibited
salivation, dilation of the airway, and inhibited digestion and urination. All
these responses are in order for your body to utilize and maximize the
resources at your body’s disposal and is commonly referred to as fight or
flight.
Our fight or flight response was an important part of
ensuring our survival in ancient times, but unfortunately in modern days this
mechanism is responsible for many mood disorders such as generalized anxiety
disorder. Furthermore, our everyday emotions may be cause for an inappropriate
fight or flight response. You may notice this you have to give a presentation. Nervousness,
the pit in your stomach, difficulty swallowing, sweating, and a pale face are
all a direct result of the ANS interpreting your stage fright as a life-threatening
situation. Evidence has also shown that our SNS can be stimulated entirely
voluntarily by thoughts or even facial expressions.
Fortunately, our PNS can also be easily triggered. Our PNS
has the opposite response of the SNS and is responsible for taking our bodies
from the heightened state of the SNS, back to our normal state. Calming thoughts
or even a sustained forced smile can help revert our bodies back to its normal
state.
How can nature help?
Numerous studies investigating nature’s impact on our mood and mental health
have been conducted. Although there has yet to be a consensus on the reason for
nature’s positive impact, most all studies agree that there is one. The positive
effects of nature can even be found in highly urbanized areas. A separate
meta-review noted important studies that assessed nature’s impact on general
well-being. One such study identified that patients recovering from surgeries
who were placed in rooms with scenic views recovered faster and required less
pain management. Natural views from windows were also shown to reduce stress
levels in workers as well as greater life-satisfaction and attentional capacity
in residents. Additionally, several studies found that small areas of
greenspace including gardens were associated with physical and emotional
health.
Nature in Jordan
Despite Jordan’s geographical location, it is home to some
stunning greenery. To the north, the Ajloun Forest Reserve is a nature reserve spanning
13sq.km. Established and managed by the Royal Society for the Conservation of
Nature
(RSCN) since 1988, the RSCN understood the importance of conserving
Jordan’s scarce forested area. Aside from vegetation, the Ajloun Forest Reserve
is home to many species local wildlife including wild boar, golden jackals, red
fox, striped hyenas, Persian squirrels, Indian crested porcupines, and local
wolves. More impressively, the RSCN began a captive breeding program of the roe
deer, an animal locally extinct to Jordan due to 200 years of deforestation.
For nature that is a little closer to home, the King Hussein
Park in Amman is a wonderful location. The park contains plenty of greenery
that is perfectly accented by marble. It also hosts jungle gyms for children
and areas for sport, making it the ideal choice for a weekend family outing.
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