econarratives.blog

By: Josdahara Villalpando Salinas

 Why spend a fortune on travel when the best vacation money can’t buy is right outside your door? That’s right, exploring your local nature and national parks is not only a budget friendly escape that is sure to make your wallet happy; it has also been proven to benefit our physical and mental health, reduce stress, give us a sense of peace, and improve overall well being. For stressed out students (such as myself), busy professionals, and travelers who are looking to save their buck, nature offers the perfect escape from our fast paced, tech ridden normalcy to soothe our nerves, and refresh our soul. 

As you are reading this, I want you to picture in your mind a place in nature that you like to visit. Now that you have this place in mind, take a deep, four second breath in… now a long, four second exhale out. Repeat this once more. See? Simply by picturing ourselves in a calm natural space, a sense of calm washes over like a shallow wave on the beach’s shore. But why is this the case? What is the connection between nature, and the production of these calm feelings produced by our brains? According to an article by Matthew Browning, published in the Scientific Reports journal (2023), being in the presence of nature, whether it be in person, or virtually, creates the same reaction in our nervous system as after we eat a delicious meal and we begin to wind down, feel satisfied and relaxed. In addition to this soothing feeling, being in the presence of nature has a lot of benefits for our mental and well being. 120 minutes feels like a long time to devote to a single task, most movies aren’t even that long. However, if 120 minutes is broken up into the seven days of the week, that only makes it around 18 minutes a day. According to a study of 19k participants conducted by Matthew P. White published in the Scientific Reports Journal (2019), spending at least 120 minutes a week in nature showed to have significant health benefits as was reported by the participants. The benefits that were seen in the participants began with just 1 hour of nature exposure and peaked at 2 hours of nature exposure a week. In addition to time spent in natural environments outside one’s neighborhood, the study also focused on green spaces, and parks around the participant’s neighborhoods, which goes to show that even if you do not have a national park, or other natural spaces near you, nature provided by our city parks and green spaces are just as beneficial to mental health and well being. The study also emphasized that it did not matter how the two hours a week were divided. You could spend just 10 minutes in nature after work one day, then 5 the next, etc. until it adds up to two hours a week, and reap the mental and physical benefits mother earth’s natural spaces have to offer us.

Furthermore, a quick trip to your nearest national park, green space, or hiking trails has proven, over time, to have positive effects on cognitive function, brain activity, blood pressure, and sleep, according to a study by Marcia P. Jimenez published to Pub Med Central (2021). For our brain activity and function, exposure to nature benefits us by improving our attention, memory, and allowing us to more effectively focus on the task at hand. Who wouldn’t want improved memory and attention? Sounds like a sweet deal to me. Because exposure to nature, even for short amounts of time, significantly reduces stress and produces feelings of calm and relaxation within us, it is no surprise that this relief from the stress of our busy lives leads to lower blood pressure, and improved immune system function (Jimenez, 2021). Simply put, it is a domino effect. More time in nature at national parks, green spaces, etc. means more relaxation and less stress. Less stress means positive mental health, less chances of us getting sick, and less opportunity for negative emotions to spike your blood pressure. In addition to this, spending time outdoors serves as a form of creative inspiration, and is a good way to move our bodies. Don’t like the pressure of busy gyms packed with people who look intimidating, or the treadmill and elliptical that you want to use always being taken? Me neither, nature offers the perfect solution to get that workout in while having scenic views whether you are at the park, trails, or elsewhere in nature. And if you don’t want to work out? No problem, according to a study by Kettering College, simply being in the presence of nature produces the same feel good hormones (dopamine and endorphins) that working out does. In addition to all the benefits to our mental and physical health that are gifted to us by mother nature, it is free to spend time in nature, with the exception of some national parks that have fees to cover maintenance costs, etc. Nature truly is the best vacation for your mental health and wallet, whether it is by in person or virtual exposure for those who do not have access to nature, as is mentioned in Browning’s study that analyzes how virtual nature still has a positive effect on mental health.

However, recently, national parks which are some of the most precious sources for natural beauty and recreation, are under attack. According to an article by the New York Times, more than 3k National Park Service workers have been fired, leading to  uncertainty about the future of our national parks. Tours have been cancelled, and the upkeep of national parks is in limbo. Brian Gibbs, a national park service worker for Effigy Grounds National Monument is one of the many workers who have been affected by this. On Valentine’s day, a day meant for the celebration of love and friendship, Gibbs was “absolutely heartbroken and devastated” by the news of his termination. This is the case for thousands of National Park Service workers across the nation. Passionate individuals who sought to ensure that people have access to a peaceful retreat from our everyday normalcy. With a lack of funding and upkeep to our national parks, their ecosystems are more vulnerable than ever, and demand our support if we are able to lend it.

Therefore, in order to help sustain and protect the natural spaces within national parks and keep reaping the benefits that spending time in nature has to offer, we can help by “leaving no trace behind” when we visit national parks as well as any other natural space, volunteering if you live near a national park, or donating directly to the National Park Service through their website or by the phone number posted on their site if you do not have direct access to national parks and rely on green spaces, and other nearby natural spaces. It is imperative that we become the voice for these protected natural spaces who do not have a voice of their own, as it is proven that being in the presence of nature has a vast amount of positive effects to our physical and mental health. These natural parks have helped us improve our mental and physical health, now we must help them if we are able to. Next time you are in need of a getaway from everyday life, save your money. Step outside, let nature soothe your soul, benefit your health, and support your local natural spaces; or if you don’t have access to natural spaces, doing it virtually creates the same benefits.

Sources:

Browning, M.H.E.M., Shin, S., Drong, G. et al. (2023). Daily exposure to virtual nature reduces symptoms of anxiety in college students. Sci Rep (13), 1239. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-28070-9

Cohen, L. (2025, February 18). National Park ranger fired from “dream job” on Valentine’s Day pens emotional viral letter: “Things are not ok.” CBS News. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/national-park-ranger-fired-dream-job-emotional-viral-letter/

Ingle, R. (2023, May 11). Nature is God’s Gift to our Mental Health – Kettering College. Kettering College. https://kc.edu/nature-is-gods-gift-to-our-mental-health/

Jimenez MP, DeVille NV, Elliott EG, Schiff JE, Wilt GE, Hart JE, James P. (2021). Associations between Nature Exposure and Health: A Review of the Evidence. Int J Environ Res Public Health.18(9):4790. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18094790. PMID: 33946197; PMCID: PMC8125471.

Matison, L., & Prevost, R. (2025, February 21). Firings Squeeze National Parks: “You Won’t Have the Full Experience.” The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/21/travel/national-park-service-firings.htmlWhite, M.P., Alcock, I., Grellier, J. et al.(2019). Spending at least 120 minutes a week in nature is associated with good health and wellbeing. Sci Rep (9), 7730. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-44097-3