Being in a new country without family or those you rely on is a scary and stressful experience. September marks the first month that I have been in Angers, France and I have been spending a lot of time in nature observing my surroundings as well as myself. The beautiful things that I have seen and the personal things that I have felt have had a positive impact on the stress in my life.
The wild life here in Angers is absolutely breathtaking. The best part of being in nature here is that it doesn’t matter if you go to a new place every time or if you go to the same spot the experience you have differs each time. For example, I have ridden my bike down the same trail about 20 times this month and I have seen something different each time, whether it was new flowers, different animals, or just the way the sun shone down on my surroundings.
Yellow Flower
Wild Plant
During my first trip into the wilderness I sat down on a bench along the river and just observed all the new and interesting things happening around me. First I heard birds rustling in the trees as well as chirping back and forth at one another. Although I could barely see them I could hear them through the silence of the secluded wooded countryside. “The wren explodes into song. Half a dozen other wrens give voice, and now all is bedlam” (Leopold 42). Among the birds I could hear the shaking of the leaves on the trees caused by a light breeze coming from my left to my right. This breeze was not very strong; however, it was causing little rapids in the river. As I watched the river swirl in certain areas I could see the fallen leaves congregating along the edges of the bank. The water was murky but I could see bugs landing on the water and flying off again. During the hour I spent sitting on the bench I saw two boats drive by. They both were fishing boats, one occupied by a man and women while the other was a man by himself. After passing by I watched how the waves slapped the banks of the river and watched the waves slowly disappear and return to its calm state. I would look in the water for signs of life and eventually saw some. I first only saw small tadpoles swimming around in groups and after a while I saw a medium sized fish slowly swim by. When I was finished and heading home I started to feel as if some of my worries were starting to fade.
Observing my surroundings
A fishing boat
Another time I decided to go on a bike ride to see what I could find farther away from town. I started my journey around 4 P.M. when the sun was still out sharing its warmth and sunlight with everything below. As I was riding down the trail I saw many people walking and talking and taking in the beauty of nature as well. After about 20 minutes of riding the landscape opens up and a group of cows appear. I stopped and just watched the cows for a little while. They were very interesting to watch but seemed as if they were aggressive as well. For example, I walked up to the fence where one cow was stopping for a drink of water and suddenly the cow turned and started to grunt while kicking his back foot in the ground. I decided this was my cue to move on. As I continued my journey I saw something that really caught my interest. I noticed that in a certain area it seemed like there were hundreds of trees that were planted in neat rows as if it was an attempt to restore that part of the land. I later did some research and found that it is called reforestation. “Reforestation involves the replanting or regeneration of areas of forest which have previously been damaged or destroyed” (Wildscreen Arkive). After looking around and taking pictures I decided to continue on. As I got further and further I noticed that the river started to split into two so I found a spot to sit down, where I could overlook the river. This is where I saw a new species of bird, the Eastern Bluebird, Sialia sialis, (Cornell University). This bird is very small but is extremely beautiful. The bright blue top of the bird glistens in the sun and the orange bottom glows as it hovers across the water.
Bike ride along the river
Cow drinking water
Eastern Bluebird
Reforestation
I have started to notice that if I am stressed when I go to spend time in nature, I come out feeling as if some of that stress has disappeared. This sparked my interest and I started to ask some of my friends if they felt the same way. Everyone that I asked was in a consensus stating that nature does affect them in a positive way and allows them to feel less stressed. For example, Ashley Esparza stated, “Spending time in nature absolutely has an effect on my perceived stress level because when I am walking throughout town or riding my bike on a trail, I feel a sense of relief and relaxation since I am focusing more on how beautiful nature is rather than the amount of school work I have waiting for me back home.” Another individual, Paola Guevara, felt less stressed when spending time “in DaVinci’s backyard, letting [her] mind wander, and not thinking about the work [she has] to do or [her] priorities.” Now that I knew other people felt that nature reduced their stress, as well, I decided to do some research.
Ashley Esparza
DaVinci’s backyard
I looked at whether spending time in nature has a positive impact on mental wellbeing as well as reducing stress in humans. I was surprised to see that there is a lot of research being done to find out if there is a correlation between these two concepts and researchers have found so far that spending time in nature does in fact reduce stress. “Many studies produce strong evidence that even three to five minutes of contact with nature can significantly reduce stress and have a complex impact on emotions, reducing anger and fear and increasing pleasant feelings” (University of Minnesota). It is noted in research that natural resources demand less from humans, mentally, allowing our brains to take a break from our chaotic lifestyle. This idea comes from attention restoration theory (ART). “According to ART, urban environments are draining because they force us to direct our attention to specific tasks (e.g., avoiding the onslaught of traffic) and grab our attention dynamically, compelling us to “look here!” before telling us to instead “look over there!” (Alter). I believe Adam Alter says it best when he states, “Nature restores mental functioning in the same way that food and water restore bodies.”
I have spent numerous hours in nature this month and have realized a few different things as a result. First, I have realized that Mother Nature is constantly changing and has a new surprise for you each and every day. Second, nature provides stimulation to your brain without forcing it to overwork, reducing stress levels. Finally, I have learned that there is a lot of research being done on the correlation between nature and stress levels.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Alter, Adam. “How Nature Resets Our Minds and Bodies.” The Atlantic. Atlantic Media
Company, 29 Mar. 2013. Web. 09 Oct. 2015.
<http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/03/how-nature-resets-our-
minds-and-bodies/274455/>.
“Eastern Bluebird.” , Sounds, All About Birds. Cornell University, 2015. Web. 09 Oct.
2015. <http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Eastern_Bluebird/sounds>.
Leopold, Aldo, and Charles Walsh. Schwartz. A Sand County Almanac, and Sketches Here
and There. New York: Oxford UP, 1987. Print.
“Perceived Stress.” E-mail interview. 7 Oct. 2015.
“Reforestation.” Reforestation. Wildscreen, n.d. Web. 09 Oct.2015.
<http://www.arkive.org/reforestation/>.
“What Impact Does the Environment Have on Us? | Taking Charge of Your Health &
Wellbeing.” Taking Charge of Your Health & Wellbeing. Regents of the University of
Minnesota, 10 July 2013. Web. 09 Oct. 2015.
<http://www.takingcharge.csh.umn.edu/explore-healing-practices/healing-
environment/what-impact-does-environment-have-us>.