With summer arriving and COVID-19 cases rising, you might be looking for ways to exercise or relax outside. Scientists and physicians have long known that simply being outside can improve your physical and mental health. But according to Lisa Nisbet, a professor of psychology at Trent University in Canada, those of us who feel most connected with nature also reap the most benefits.
“Nature can boost people's mood, increase feelings of vitality, reduce the stress response, and help with those feelings of relaxation,” Nisbet says. “I think a lot of people underestimate how important it is for physical and mental health.” These benefits, which range from improved eyesight to decreased stress, are so impactful that some physicians have even started prescribing nature to treat patients.
Melissa Lem, a medical physician and clinical assistant professor at the University of British Columbia, is no stranger to translating the medicinal potential of the ...
