The season of spring conjures up images of colour, beauty, renewal, and rebirth. It is a time when sunlight breaks through the clouds and winter hibernation comes to an end. We can learn from these powerful images and bring ourselves out of hibernation by moving towards spiritual rejuvenation, mental refocus and renewal. What better way to do this than turn to mother nature herself?
The Transformative Power of Nature
Nature has a profound way of comforting us and calming our nervous system. It allows us to step away from the daily demands of our lives and offers us space to process difficult feelings in a judgement-free environment. It helps us regulate our emotions and offers us an opportunity to see things from a fresh perspective.
According to a 2023 pilot study on nature-based therapy in individuals with mental health disorders, nature-based therapy can be an effective treatment for psychosomatic disorders as part of integrative treatment. Furthermore, results show that connectedness to nature and mental well-being are connected in those affected by psychosomatic disorders influencing each other positively, showing significant improvement over time.
A 2022 study published in the International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction also show the benefits of nature therapy. It mentions that nature therapy is an effective short-term treatment for mental health conditions such as anxiety, depression, stress, and anger. The results of the study show that spending time in nature increases restoration and reduces stress. The study also found that being in nature may activate our soothing system, which endorses compassion, safety, and connection while protecting our mental health. Furthermore, participants experienced positive results after spending just 15 minutes in nature for 9 days consecutively.
Research also shows that nature-based therapy has a positive impact on eating disorder treatments and outcomes. In a 2020 study, participants with bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder reported that nature helped them reconnect with their bodies and led to a greater feeling of calmness. They experienced nature as being a non-judgemental space and engaging of all the senses.
Naturalistic Intelligence
According to Howard Gardner’s theory of Multiple Intelligences everyone has Naturalistic Intelligence. Naturalistic Intelligence refers to the ability to observe, identify, categorise, understand, and manipulate natural elements such as plants, animals, and the environment. People with a high level of naturalistic intelligence are interested in exploring, nurturing, and learning about the environment and other living creatures. They are also sensitive to even the most subtle changes in their environment, which helps them to identify patterns and relationships with nature.
Naturalistic Intelligence is categorised by:
Love of nature
Sharp observation skills
Motivation to understanding how things work
Aversion to pollution
Efficacy in sorting information
Caring for animals
Interest in scientific careers
Whether you work in a natural setting or not, improving and developing your naturalistic intelligence has various advantages in and out of nature.
Interacting with nature helps build your observation skills.
Nature activities that require collecting and sorting helps to keep our minds active and helps to develop our motor skills.
Being involved in naturalistic activities helps to enhance our curiosity and empathy towards people, nature, and animals.
Enhanced empathy from naturalistic activities helps us to build stronger social connections.
Enhancing our naturalistic abilities improves our problem-solving abilities.
Everyone, young and old, could improve and enhance their naturalistic intelligence.Â
Here are some ways we can enhance our naturalistic intelligence:
Experience nature: Exposing ourselves to nature by being outdoors is a great way for us to develop our naturalistic intelligence. We can experience nature by taking walks or trips to experience wildlife e.g., visiting a national park.
Observing nature: We can observe nature through all our senses by watching animal behaviour or using observation tools (e.g., magnifying glasses, microscopes, and telescopes), watching the weather and taking notice of ecological principles (e.g., the growth and decomposition of plants over time).
Exploring nature: By exploring nature we can dive deeper into natural life. We can accomplish this by working with and learning in the natural world. We can grow our own plants, work in gardens, go on hikes, spend time with animals (feed the animals at an enclosure) and read or watch stories about nature.
Classify nature: After we have done all of the above all that is left to do is to classify things based on what we have seen. We can collect items to identify such as different plants, leaves, berries, shells and more. We can use these collections to highlight differences and similarities between natural objects. This activity also gives us the opportunity to bring home a memory in the form of a natural artifact (e.g., a seashell, stone, or flower).
What other nature activities can we do to enhance our naturalistic intelligence and overall wellbeing?
Nature walks: Nature walks are a great opportunity to connect with nature and get some exercise at the same time. It is not limited to a specific place and can include your local park, the beach, or a walking trail. Even a simple walk around the neighbourhood allows us to interact with nature. Nature walks can improve attention, lower stress, and increase empathy and cooperation.
A trip to an animal sanctuary or aquarium: A trip to an animal sanctuary is a great way to learn about different types of animals and how to ethically care for them and work towards ecological sustainability. Children are also able to learn about animals in a safe environment. It can also be a form of charity as most of the proceeds from these places go towards animal education and the care and management of the animals.
Nature journals: A nature journal is a journal where you can draw ideas or write about and respond to nature. Many naturalists, artists and scientists use nature journals to collect their observations of an object or place. There is no right or wrong way to create a nature journal. All that is needed is paper, pencils and something to provide colour. You can write in your nature journal about your various experiences in nature. As a bonus you can paste some of your unique findings in your journal (petals, leaves or feathers). A nature journal can be a sensory rich experience and therefore a good grounding tool for anxiety as we can engage all our senses.
Gardening:Â Gardening is a fun hands-on learning opportunity for young and old. When gardening we learn about various plants and how to properly care for them e.g., some plants require more shade or water than others. Gardening also gives as the opportunity to grow organic fruits, vegetables and herbs enhancing our cooking and dining experiences. Furthermore, gardening is known to have great mind and body benefits for all ages.
Nature photography: Taking photos of nature allows us to slow down and pay attention to nature. It gives us the opportunity to memorialise a wonderful outdoors adventure, document a rare plant or animal and improve our creative and artistic abilities.
Own a pet: Owning a pet might not be possible for everyone. However, if you can invest the time, money and energy it takes to care for a pet, you have a friend for life. Pets make wonderful companions and are proven to relieve stress, offer companionship and even help with pain and stress management. Caring for a pet also teaches us responsibility and empathy.
Trip to a botanical garden or national park: Visiting a botanical garden or national park during the springtime can be a beautiful feast for the eyes. It provides us with the opportunity to experience the beauty and presence of wild and indigenous plant life. Spending time observing the beauty of nature in this way can help us take a break from the concrete jungle.
Camping: Camping might not be everyone’s cup of tea; however, camping provides a way for us to take a break and spend time in nature by sleeping under the stars. Sitting around a campfire, sharing stories, laughing, and having fun with loved ones offers reprieve from the demands of daily life. It gives us a chance to experience nature more closely by being at times completely emerged in it.
What is your favourite nature activity? How does spending time in nature enhance your wellbeing? During the month of September, we can celebrate nature and get some nature therapy by entering our national parks for free! See the following link for more information: https://www.sanparks.org/news/media-release-free-entry-for-south-african-national-parks-week-2
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