No one really needs to be convinced that nature is good for the soul. There is a lot of research that supports the fact that when humans spend time in nature, we are less stressed, more in-tune with ourselves, and show increases in our overall mental well-being.
But what about increase in areas such as compassion and empathy? Does spending time in nature make us kinder and more understanding and, perhaps, giving? Or, does being a kinder, more empathetic person make one feel closer to nature? While there isn't a ton of research to be found about this connection, there is enough to highlight that--of course--all things are connected.
In an article entitled, "Beyond knowing nature: Contact, emotion, compassion, meaning, and beauty are pathways to nature connection," the authors discover a surprising connection between humans, their actions, and connections to nature: "Activities that involved contact, meaning, emotion, compassion and beauty were found to be both indicators of, then pathways towards, nature connectedness." (Lumber, Richardson, and Sheffield). So, if I understand this correctly, the more we live engaged, emotion-filled and considerate lives, the better we are able to connect with nature?! Wow. Just wow.
I recently spent two solid weeks immersed in nature in the Bornean rainforests. For days, I was surrounded with nothing but nature, and it was wonderful. Lower stress? Check. Increase in mental well-being? Check. Ability to slow down and appreciate? Check and check. But what I didn't quite understand at the time was that the more enriched, connected, giving, and beauty-filled my life was prior to these few weeks, the more I could have felt connected to nature. That is a big realization for such a simple concept: like everything, when I tap into being a better human through my understanding and helping of others, my life improves.
Perhaps you might have heard about the biophillia hypothesis, which "posits that peaceful or nurturing elements helped us regain equanimity, cognitive clarity, empathy and hope. . . . The humans who were most attuned to the cues of nature were the ones who survived to pass on those traits" (Williams, 22). So, a symbiotic relationship seems to emerge: nature helped us become better humans and being a better human makes us more connected to nature. Another wow.
I don't know about you, but I couldn't live long without nature, and I also couldn't live long (or with myself) without being a kind, compassionate human. Moments observing an orangutan in the wild are just as beautiful and meaningful as helping a stranger who is in need. Now at least I know that this connection isn't by chance; one deepens the other, which then reciprocates in an endless cycle. So stop and smell the flowers, my friend, and be a kinder human while you're at it.
Works Cited
Lumber, Ryan, Richardson, Miles, and David Sheffield. "Beyond knowing nature: Contact, emotion, compassion, meaning, and beauty are pathways to nature connection." PLoS One, vol. 12, no. 5, 9 May 2017, doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0177186. Accessed 23 January 2023.
Williams, Florence. The Nature Fix: Why Nature Makes Us Happier, Healthier, and More Creative. New York: W.W. Norton, 2017.
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