Imagine a therapy just as effective as antidepressant medication or psychotherapy, but accessible to almost all people, without the high costs of counseling, and without the negative side effects of medications. Is it really that surprising that the environment, plants, and animals that our bio-psychology evolved alongside over hundreds of millions of years have the potential to provide us with such transformative and positive healing for our mental and physical health? Ecotherapy, while having always passively existed within us and around us when we come into contact with nature, has only recently been therapeutically practiced and academically understood. Even in those circumstances in which the redlining of nature occurs, or in which nature is distant, which will both be considered in this article, we still see improvements in mental health with the simple additions of plants and greenery to once-beige spaces (Cox et al., 2017). This article considers ecotherapy, or nature therapy, as those nature experiences we seek to improve our mental health and its importance to creating quality connections with others, ourselves, and the environment as technology advances.
Recently, I attended a mental health support group. While the group had no direct connection to any environmental efforts, I found that many connections were being made as we each shared in our small circle. The question, "How do you find peace?" was asked of each of us. I noticed that each of my peers’ responses contained some form of finding nature in their lives. Some of us spoke of our love for water, immersion in calm lakes, and shivers to combat cold mountain winds as our bodies dried off. Others spoke of long trails in their favorite ecosystems and feeling a bit lost (but not too lost). It seemed apparent to me that the effort to find peace did not feel so dissimilar from the effort to find nature. Each person who shared this sentiment, in some way, felt more connected to themselves and others, more present, and more comfortable in their minds by finding themselves in nature—which, for many, comes as a surprise. My participation in this event prompted within me a profound question: With the ability to connect more than ever through technology to others, why would this disconnection from a “connective” technology (mediated by increasing our experiences with nature) be the thing that creates peace? In other words, I became curious about how to balance my personal mental health needs now situated between modern technology and nature.
Ecotherapy works for many because it challenges the notion that technology’s huge ability to connect us equates with huge positive mental health benefits. Unfortunately, many people contain the false notion that an increase in technology means an improvement in mental health. This stems from a true base understanding within each of us that connecting with others also benefits our well-being, physically and emotionally (Barber, 2018). Human psychology is dependent on social connection and communication to maintain mental health. However, there is a false equivalence between technology and connection. Technology companies constantly advertise how increasing your access to technology or buying the next trendy phone will help you become more connected than ever (Przybylski & Weinstein, 2017).
However, the data don’t show us that this is healthy. More than ever, and due to technology, we are seeing an epidemic in loneliness, major increases in anxiety in people of all ages, and large numbers of depression (Twenge et al., 2019). In addition to the increases in technology, we are also seeing decreases in access to untouched ecosystems. A new question comes about: why and how does this occur when it seems that technology should be improving our ability to connect?
I’ll begin by describing a quick philosophy of connection. Connection, argued by some, is the very purpose of life. Connecting to others, the environment, plants, and wildlife, in order to serve, protect, and cherish these relationships, is a fulfilling and rewarding path in life for many (Hawk et al., 2018). By evolution, our bodies and minds have come to understand this concept of connection. However, with the advent of modern technology, which grants us the ability to connect more than ever, troves of people are reporting increased loneliness, depression, and anxiety (Lee et al., 2021). The answer lies most within the quality of our connections, and not so much the quantity (Vasalou et al., 2008). Ecotherapy reportedly helps us find the balance between quality and quantity (Jordan et al., 2018).
The effects of technology are two-fold; a lack of nature compounds these already-negative effects. On the one hand, engaging in unhealthy technology habits takes up our time which could otherwise be used to healthily engage in social activities, build relationships, or explore nature (Rosen et al., 2013). On the other hand, technology is directly designed to short-circuit or take advantage of our brain’s pleasure processing centers (Alter, 2017). In other words, phone usage is the new popular and normalized addiction of the 21st century (Sbarra & Coan, 2018). Doom scrolling has become a new form of risk transition of the 21st century. Risk transition is the concept that describes how risks increase or evolve as technology also evolves (Ulrich et al., 2020). For example, one might find that researching data is much easier on a computer than in a library; however, a person who uses screens is opening themselves up to the possibility of negatively affecting their circadian rhythm by the increases in blue light in the evening—reading a book is longer, but it doesn’t have the same risk. The brain is a complex piece of biological machinery. However, it has some simple desires. Those desires are activities that feel pleasurable in a given moment. A constant influx of novel content through social media keeps the brain fixed in a state of short-term pleasure-seeking, which affects attention span. Thus, even when we are not overusing our technology, we are still being affected by it, for our attention spans have become shorter, ultimately affecting the ways in which we experience life. Short attention spans have proven to make focusing in the classroom harder and can even lead to emotional dissatisfaction in platonic and romantic relationships (Rosen et al., 2013).
Many psychologists argue that the brain finds true fulfillment in the forms of delayed gratification, goal-setting, and long-term processes which challenge us and are inspired by our passions (Duckworth et al., 2007). Fulfillment is a key component in fighting depression and loneliness and also to maintaining or establishing healthy relationships. Constant connection through technology, which allows us to gratify the pleasure centers of the brain at any given moment, also short-circuits this process, causing us to become less fulfilled and less able to fight depression (Kross et al., 2013). Connection is not the issue here. Instead, the type of connection offered by modern media platforms has a certain constancy and negative quality. We are designed to be in connection with others. However, strong mental health comes from both the ability to connect with others and the ability to connect with ourselves. This requires us to make time for both. While connection is necessary for us, we need balance. Additionally, genuine human connection outside of the internet is not the same as the scroll and text format our phones provide us with. Creating and maintaining relationships requires prolonged and consistent effort of all kinds. Nature provides us the space to do so, both mentally and physically. Thus, the quantity of our connections might decrease, but the quality increases dramatically.
When we connect with nature, we are entering a state of connection with our immediate friends or family and a state of disconnection from technology. This is a central theme for why Ecotherapy has so many benefits. Because this form of disconnection targets such powerful subconscious motivations such as intimacy, many different aspects of our mental health can be improved (Van den Berg & Custers, 2011). Allowing ourselves to enter this space can offer us this much-needed reprieve from solitude. Additionally, those who have already disconnected from technology can benefit further by finding nature. Nature offers us both physical and logical challenges which interact with the long-term goal-accomplishing centers of our minds. For example, consistently working toward a new physical health goal by hiking, creating a shelter from your surroundings, or responsibly foraging and cooking with native plant species all help us accomplish necessary needs in our lives (Mayer et al., 2009). Physical health is deeply tied to mental health. Safely approaching challenges that help us meet our most primal needs like food, shelter, kinship, and water can create lasting senses of fulfillment for many.
Ecotherapy looks quite different for many, depending on the ability of a person to access nature for various reasons. Nature is not fully accessible to many people with physical disabilities. Additionally, much of our natural environment is redlined, causing many people
of color and people of lower income difficulty in accessing it (Jennings et al., 2017). However, there are solutions! Increasing public policy by informing ourselves of the necessity of more green spaces and advocating for such helps improve mental health (Gonzalez et al., 2010). Personal decisions about our workspaces and homes also help us find the therapeutic effects of nature. Adding plants or adding different colors to our homes which are reminiscent of nature have similar effects (Cimprich, 1993). For those with access to nature, Ecotherapy can include many different activities: picnics, walks, dipping feet in cold mud. So many different options exist, and that’s one of the beautiful parts of nature. There is so much room for our creativity to flourish as we try to find new ways to connect with nature. However, much of nature also poses threats. Remember to always practice safety by researching wildlife and climate conditions in your area before heading out. Here in California, we have many beautiful hiking trails but also mountain lions and coyotes. Our desert areas also pose the threat of heat exhaustion. These things are dangerous, but also quite navigable. Please do your research before heading out!
For those minds that have succumbed to the negative effects of modern technology, these activities and spaces will not immediately feel as pleasurable as the use of a phone. That is the very challenge we see in younger generations today. The transition back to activities that truly challenge us and give us space to create real and meaningful connections with others is very difficult and requires patience and understanding. Though statistics show us that loneliness is on the rise, we also live in an age where we understand the human mind, soul, and body better than ever before. Ecotherapy can help us know this logically and to know this on an emotional level as we employ the values of genuine, quality connection in our lives.
References
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