Mending A Broken Heart? Nature Can Help You, Give You Emotional Balance; Study Reveals

Whether your heart problem is on a literal or figurative level, turning to nature can be beneficial to you. According to a new research, doing so can regulate one's emotions and the heart; thus, helping a person gain a healthy balance.

University of Derby and University of Cardiff researchers conducted a study in which they examined the heart and the impact of natural and urban environments on it. According to Medical Xpress, the team discovered that nature has the ability to regulate heart rhythms and that staying in woodland can generate positive changes in the body. The study suggests that nature indeed has a strong connection with our bodies, emotions, and health.

"Exposure to nature is emotional and emotion is the constant companion of sensation with feelings, rather than thoughts, coming first when we encounter nature and these emotions have a physiological basis, which nature and well-being research often overlooks," said Dr. Miles Richardson, Head of Psychology at the University of Derby. According to him, nature can help balance everyday feelings like feelings of contentment, drive, and threat.

There were similar studies in the past that compared the body's reaction to nature and to an urban environment. Differences between responses were found; however, researchers did not consider them as an enough of basis of nature's connection to emotion and well-being. Fast forward to present time, the team re-analyzed those studies and found that natural environments promote greater contentment and lower drive compared to urban environments. The study also suggests that nature can generate calm and joy as well as wonder and comfort.

Meanwhile, Nature World News reported that nature can affect one's well-being through 'Ecotherapy'. Such therapy focuses on the mental and even physical health of people through exposure to outdoor activities that involve nature. Through camping trips and vacations, for instance, experts suggest that one's mental and physical condition can improve.