Take a hike, it’s good for your brain
Taking a break from the hustle and bustle of the concrete
jungle can have an instantly calming effect on you, and now scientists say it
can change your brain for the better.
Spending time outdoors, surrounded by nature, can actually decrease negative thoughts, depression, and anxiety by a significant margin.
According to a report by the Collective Movement, hiking in nature helps reduce over-thinking and obsessing about things in your life that plague you with worry.
A study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences compared the rumination of people who walked in a natural environment to those who walked in an urban environment.
It found that those who hiked in a natural environment had lower rumination levels than their urban counterparts.
They showed signs of decreased neural activity in the area related to mental illness – the subgenual prefrontal cortex.
The urban walkers reportedly had no reduction at all.
Researchers went a step further, and noted that a link between increase urbanisation and depression, according to the Collective Movement.
They concluded that spending more time in nature is great for both your physical and mental health.
Make sure you ditch your phone, though, as disconnecting from technology while enjoying the outdoors can also help boost creative thinking and problem solving.
Image: Wentzil Olivier