A recent concept to the psychological world is that of nature deprivation. The concept of a person struggling with their physical and mental health because they are not spending enough time in nature was not on mental and medical health professional’s radars in the past. However, the more we come to understand about people’s connection to nature, the more we are realizing how evolved we are to interact with nature. The pressure of life that causes so many medical and mental health problems can be alleviated by spending time in nature, which makes nature its own kind of detox.

Physically speaking, nature has been found to have many benefits for health and detoxification. Spending time in nature lowers a person’s blood pressure, increasing their circulation and calming their heart rate. The scent of growing plants, especially trees, has been found to effect people’s physiology in a positive way. Being immersed in nature increases the flow of productive brain chemicals, such as dopamine and endorphins. And doing all of this while exploring nature allows a person to exercise, which makes their body absorb and distribute the benefits that nature is giving them.

Mentally speaking, nature is one of the ultimate methods of detoxification. All of the basic elements of nature are calming and soothing to people. Granted, some people may have been traumatized by something they encountered in nature, such as a wild animal or a natural disaster, and they would need counseling before reentering nature. But to the average person, nature is a sanctuary of peace and quiet where they are free to meditate and let their thoughts flow naturally. This is a valuable mental detox for the world we live in and can be a great asset for coping with a mental disorder, addiction or stressful life circumstances.

Incorporating time in nature into your detox plan will realign you at your core. Humanity evolved to live among nature, and we were intended to interact with it as part of our natural way of life. Eliminating this key element of our mental and physical health is detrimental.