Page 53 - Time Special Edition Alternative Medicine (January 2020)

more emotional attachment to local gives people a sense of well-being.”
greenery when they had higher- On the other hand, if a green space
quality green spaces. is difficult to get to, has poor lighting
So what makes a green space or is not clean, it may be seen as
Will Any
high-quality—and therefore more unsafe or inaccessible and probably
healthful? Some research has wouldn’t boost a visitor’s mood,
Green linked health effects to specific explains Lee.

types of green spaces—broadleaf People may also experience
Space Do? woods, parks that feature water and the benefits of green spaces in

Quality matters. areas with significant biodiversity, unique ways, says Sarah Bell,
for example. Aesthetic factors can a lecturer at the University of
So do your goals be important. Exeter’s European Centre for
By Abigail Abrams But that’s not the last word. Environment and Human Health.
Andrew Lee, a public-health “It doesn’t necessarily come
researcher at the University of naturally to people,” Bell says
Sheffield in England who has of nature appreciation. Sudden
conducted large reviews of health changes, the end of a job or
Taking the nature cure can green-space research, says the something that causes a high level
sometimes feel like a tall order. functionality of parks is paramount of stress can make nature more
Not everyone has the means to for making people feel happy. “If it’s important to people, she says.
stroll on stunning beaches or hike a social space, where people meet The secret to using nature as a
to awe-inspiring views of mountain together and chat and go on walks, mood booster in these situations,
valleys. The good news is that that kind of social contact and Bell says, is to find activities in a
neither is necessary. At least, interaction builds social networks,” green space that match your own
not exactly. Studies suggest that Lee says. “That’s probably where individual preferences, personality
nearly any green space can boost the real impact is coming from that and goals.
your well-being, as long as it meets
certain criteria.
The quality of the green space
seems to matters more than the
quantity. In one recent study in
the journal BMC Public Health,
researchers found no significant link
between the amount of green space
in an individual’s local area and their
mental well-being. Merely having
vegetation doesn’t guarantee a
positive experience, explains study
author Victoria Houlden, at the
University of Warwick in England.
Although Houlden’s study used
census units to measure how
much green space people had
access to, individuals don’t stick to
government-assigned districts in
real life. They may frequent a park
near their office or go out of their way
to play sports in a neighboring town.
“The relationship between green
space and mental well-being is more
complicated than an arbitrary sense
of boundary,” Houlden says.
In another recent study, a group
of researchers in the Netherlands
found that people who think of
their local green spaces as more
accessible and usable felt more
satisfied with their neighborhood,
regardless of the amount of green
space they had. But they also
reported better mental health and The social function of green spaces may matter more than size.