A shout out for Nature!

Amy Thomas, in “Why ‘Biophilia’ Needs to be Part of Your Next Holiday” (2024, BBC Online,https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20240502-why-biophilia-needs-to-be-part-of-your-next-holiday) encourages people to improve their mental health by spending time outside—something that we talk about a lot here at The Space Doctors.
Thomas shares that “Engaging with nature on vacation can not only make you feel more rested and restored, it can also enhance wellbeing when you’re back home. . . . I’ve always felt calm and at peace in nature but never stopped to consider why. The reason is what’s known as biophilia: the innate love for and connection we feel to the natural world. This desire to interact with all forms of life was popularised by the naturalist Edward O Wilson in his 1984 book Biophilia. The theory is that since we evolved as a species in nature, it’s where we feel most at home and connected. . . . Numerous studies. . . show biophilia reduces anxiety, restores mental capacity and supports emotional wellbeing, all of which can affect physical health.”