Ever heard of Vitamin N? Me neither. I thought I knew all the vitamins there were to know. So I googled this strange Vitamin N. Yes, it exists...in a sense. It isn’t a nutrient but a habitat. Vitamin N stands for Nature, our natural human environment.
Now why was an alternative term for nature coined as a vitamin? Whether we acknowledge this fact or not, our psyches are attuned to nature. Humans and nature have an intrinsic connection. Nature is nurture for our mental health and therefore physical health as well. In these terms, nature may be considered a vitamin, one we need to have a regular substantial dose of to maintain our overall well-being.
People are hardwired to live in natural surroundings yet we have gradually built lifestyles over the last century that have disengaged us further away from nature’s healing and calming forces. Our lifestyles have even destroyed ecosystems around us. Most of us today are so disconnected from our natural environment that we sometimes fear it, find it inconvenient, or do not even realize how much we need it.
When we look at gorgeous waterfalls and breathtaking canyons, it moves us emotionally. When we find a quiet spot surrounded by foliage, our mind clears and we get to think more peaceful and positive thoughts. We cannot deny that our very genes long to commune with the natural world, not the artificial one we have created, no matter how convenient. We still need nature,viitamin N, for our soul.
Why We Need Vitamin N
We need to imbibe as much vitamin N as much as we can for these reasons:
Nature Heals
According to a Pennsylvanian research, patients in hospital rooms with views of natural landscapes enjoyed shorter duration of hospital care, required less pain medication, and had less complaints than those patients whose windows opened to views of brick walls. The lucky patients who could see trees from their windows often seemed to recover four times faster.
Studies have shown that seeing nature de-stresses people and improves their overall sense of well-being. Physiological data suggests that natural scenery elicits a response from a part of the parasympathetic system that restores physical energy. Research by Moore in 1981 revealed that inmates in cells with window views of nature exhibited much less stress symptoms than those who did not. These prisoners had lesser incidences of digestive problems, headaches, and other illnesses.
Nature Promotes Psychological Well-Being
Workers who are privileged to have windows opening to natural landscapes often feel less stressed at their jobs and tend to have better overall job satisfaction over those whose sceneries present urban vistas.
Joggers seem to burn more calories and enjoy their runs more than those who sweat it out indoors on a treadmill. Nature just seems to lighten one’s mental load. A good dose of Vitamin N can do wonders for people experiencing stress, anxiety, and depression. As mental health often translates to physical health, we may deduce that communing with nature promotes physical health as well.
Nature Improves Cognitive Functions
Interacting with nature can improve memory and focus by as much as 20%. According to a psychology research by the University of Michigan, people who were asked to walk down a scenic route via the Matthaei Botanical Gardens and Nichols Arboretum exhibited a 20% boost in short-term memory. When asked to walk through city streets however no such cognitive improvements were apparent.
Even pictures of nature provide positive mental stimulation. The same research included testing participants with nature and city scene photos inside a room. The results were the same. Participants who viewed photos of natural landscapes experienced the same 20% boost in memory and attention span. When shown pictures of urban landscapes, these same participants showed no such cognitive improvements.
Nature Revitalizes
A paper by Richard Ryan, professor of psychology, psychiatry, and education at the University of Rochester, states that 20 minutes a day outdoors can be all it takes to energize one for the day. Ryan says, “Research has shown that people with a greater sense of vitality don't just have more energy for things they want to do, they are also more resilient to physical illnesses. One of the pathways to health may be to spend more time in natural settings.”
Nature Builds Goodwill and Human Bonding
Nature simply makes one feel good so that the propensity to share this great feeling comes out in wanting to relate with others as well. The same author of the paper cited above also authored another paper that revealed the link between nature and an individual’s propensity to care. People who were exposed much more to natural environments tended to be be more social, value community and personal relationships, and even be generous with money.
Ryan’s co-author, Netta Weinstein, believes that incorporating nature into urban environments may help build community bonds between residents. In contrast, she says, disconnecting ourselves from nature may also lead to us disconnecting from each other. This may explain why most city dwellers show more social estrangement, reservation, and indifference than their rural counterparts.
Indeed, we owe it ourselves to get our healthy dose of Vitamin N everyday. Instead of driving, walk or cycle down the blocks. Take in the fresh air, the green grass, and the sounds of birds. Nature is free, abundant, and will do us a barrel of good. All we need is the presence of mind to appreciate it.
