It won’t be an exaggeration to say that humans, as a collective race, are losing touch with nature. Caught up in our concrete jungles and virtual worlds every day, we seldom even look up at the trees and skies that surround us, soaking them in and letting them transport us to a world of tranquility.
Instead, we choose to take virtual tours of nature’s marvels and are more inclined to take care of a simulated plant on our phones than one in our house. While as convenient as it may be, it’s not the real thing. And you know that in life, it’s the real things that count the most.
In fact, interacting with nature is a fundamental experience, one that we all have the intrinsic right to in order to ensure holistic development and overall well-being. So if you can’t get to nature, make nature come to you by assimilating its elements into your home. Here’s why it’s so important –
Why nature should be a part of your home
Peter Kahn, a psychologist at the University of Washington, says that simulated reality is constantly encroaching upon our interactions with nature now more than it ever has. In his article published in the Current Directions in Psychological Science, Kahn talks about how people report lower stress levels when interacting with real nature as opposed to a visual representation of it.
While that’s good news, he warns that if people continue to interact with technological nature extensively over real nature, there might be a shift in what people define as “a full human experience of nature”. This, he says, can lead to environmental generational anesthesia.
What is that you ask? Simply put, it’s the acceptance of one’s natural environment in childhood as the norm, serving as a yardstick against which all future degradation of the environment is measured. For example, we accept the present poor air quality and resultant ailments as the norm now, not knowing what clean air and lack of health troubles could feel like.
Sounds dire, doesn’t it? It’s completely preventable though.
All you have to do is reconnect with nature.
But on a daily basis.
Now while that may seem impossible to do in city life, it’s really quite easily doable. Let us show you how!
Why is living green important?
How you can let nature’s elements into your home
We’ve got ways that can make fixing that nature deficit feel as easy as 1-2-3. As long as you’re willing to put in a tad bit of work. No, don’t worry. It’s easy work. Nothing that’ll take up too much of your time. Here’s how –
Not many trees in your area? You can still reconnect with greenery by adding plants to your home. A study conducted by NASA shows that having plants indoors can help clean the air and water inside, ensuring you breathe easy.
But healthy air isn’t the only benefit. Getting close to nature can also have a restorative effect on you. According to another study, employees who regularly interacted with nature experienced lower stress levels and improved health, with the conclusion that the higher the contact with nature, the lower the stress.
As much as you may want to coop up in a cool dark cave where you can binge-watch movies like it’s a home theater, getting some sunshine in your house can do wonders. Not just for the atmosphere but for your mood as well. Like we mentioned in the previous point, studies have established a direct correlation between enhanced performance at work and reduced stress with contact with nature.
An interesting study also revealed the effect natural light can have on patient recovery. Patients were divided and placed on the bright and dim sides of a room respectively to find out the effect of pain medications on them. Those who were on the brighter side recovered faster, felt less pain & stress, and needed lesser medications. So be sure to let the sun in!
Just like your drapes, your windows should also be open to the extent possible every day. Keeping your windows open will improve the ventilation in your home, allowing fresh air to circulate and removing stale odors from the environment.
Proper ventilation can even prevent condensation, cool your room and provide you with ample health benefits by reducing indoor air pollution. This is why it’s crucial to choose a well-planned home so you get access to a good in-built ventilation system.
From fresh flowers in spring to petrichor after the first rain – nature is full of healing, soothing scents that can benefit you in a myriad of ways. Indulging in some natural aromatherapy can uplift your mood, give your immune system a boost, and more. Science is constantly discovering the benefits of plant oils. For example, a recent study found out that peppermint oil can increase attention while decreasing mental exhaustion.
To get in touch with nature, you don’t really need to take a trip to Hawaii. You can enjoy the many benefits of nature while lounging in your city home and actively pursuing the ways listed above. Of course, having a well-planned, green home in a green neighborhood helps.
Want to give back to nature? Move into a green home by Isha Group
Not only is interacting with nature vital, but it’s also important to give back to nature so it can continue helping us lead healthier lives. One of the ways you can give back to nature is by choosing to live in an eco-friendly building.
Isha Group has several green building projects under its belt, which are packed with eco-friendly features from rain-water harvesting to solar-powered common areas. It truly has everything you need to reduce your carbon footprint, being built from the ground up with green building materials.
So if you want to live in a green building, we’ve got the perfect homes for you.
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