Between trees,
A heart opens –
moss blankets
The tender skin of the earth,
while the branches bend
to reach the sky.
In the stillness,
A soul trembles
without loads.
Shadows dance with the light,
each leaf a balm –
a promise
engraved in emerald veins
across the forest floor,
where the feet trace
forgotten paths
To peace.
The soft chorus
of growing things
echoes through
our hollowed bones –
letting the light in
where the pain once was
took root.
This poem is inspired by recent researchwhich has found that even 10 minutes of exposure to nature can produce benefits for adults with mental illness.
Many studies have shown that spending time in nature can improve mental health, but little research has been done on how this specifically benefits adults with mental illness. It's possible that deliberately spending time in natural environments may help alleviate symptoms of mental illness.
In this study, researchers used a method called meta-analysis, which combines the results of many different studies to get a clearer picture of overall effects. They looked at studies conducted between 1990 and 2020 that provided detailed, measurable data on the effects of nature exposure on adults with mental illness. The results showed that spending time in nature significantly improved social, mental, and physical health. Even studies with control groups, comparing different treatment approaches, showed clear benefits of nature exposure. The research also found that the type of nature exposure, the setting, the activities involved, and the specific mental illness all influenced the outcomes. These findings suggest that prescribing time in nature could be an effective, accessible, and affordable way to support mental health, potentially easing the burden on health care systems around the world. Even brief visits to natural spaces, including urban parks, can offer notable mental health benefits for adults with mental illness.
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