Our modern lifestyles differ greatly from what they did just fifty or one hundred years ago. We seem to be constantly surrounded by concrete, cooped up in office buildings, and not doing much else except sitting in chairs. This continued lack of exposure to nature is causing some experts to question how it may impact our health. This brings us to the question: what is nature deficit disorder?
This term was coined by a researcher named Richard Louv in his 2005 book Last Child in the Wood. He asserts that the term is not meant to be considered a medical issue but rather an effect seen in modern living. He also described it as humans' alienation from the natural world. This is an interesting topic because he postulates that because children and adults spend less time outdoors, a higher rate of behavioral and mental issues arise.
People are indeed spending less and less time outdoors. All you have to do is observe how much time adults spend in front of computer screens during work only to come home and sit in front of a television screen for hours before they sleep. Many of us are guilty of this, but farther-reaching effects may encompass more of our health than we care to admit.
A frightening statistic that came out recently is that, according to a Nielsen Company Audience Report, the average American devotes ten hours and thirty-nine minutes daily to looking at a screen. There is so much consumption of media that people don’t even have time to look at what’s around them. From this perspective, it’s not difficult to see why someone would raise awareness about nature deficit disorder.
A large segment of the population works behind desks these days. When you think about the progression of what could be considered an average day, there is a lot of sitting down. Many people get out of bed, get ready to work, and maybe eat breakfast to start their days. From that point, they sit in a car to drive to an office, where they again sit down for much of the remaining work day. This behavior becomes exhausting even though it doesn’t provide the body with enough activity to maintain health.
Once we get home from a long day at the office, we’re usually tired and sit down to watch TV before bed. Are you seeing the trend here? There isn’t any time that is spent moving around. Our minds are going a mile a minute, but our bodies aren’t doing anything. The purpose here isn’t to bore you with statistics; the average American sits for eleven hours daily. That’s a lot of sitting when you consider that sleeping takes about seven hours. That only leaves you six hours when you’re not sitting or sleeping.
The contribution that these types of habits have to our health is astounding. Not only are we disconnected from nature more than ever, it’s almost as if we’re disconnected from our bodies because we barely use them anymore. Some people don’t have a choice, and there isn’t always an option to control your work environment to suit your physical needs, so that means the extra time out of the office needs to be used as wisely as possible to recover what is lost.
We’ve never been more disconnected from the natural world around us than we are in the modern age. When the most interaction with nature comes from the Discovery Channel, you need to ask yourself what you can change.
Throughout human history, our evolution and adaptation revolved around being outside as hunters and gatherers. Only recently have we changed to spending most of our time inside. Seventy-five percent of the U.S. population lives in urban areas, limiting exposure to the natural environments we are adapted to.
Nature deficit disorder is also associated with an increased fear and phobia of the outdoors, decreased ability to cope with stress, and decreased self-esteem. All of these things are better to limit when possible – which is why it’s best to get back to nature if you can.
Bringing plants into your workspace can be a good start, especially when you are secluded from a natural setting at your job. Aside from allergies, which do affect some people, some plants will survive even the cruelest owners, so there is something that you will be able to keep alive at the office. It doesn’t need to be something you take to the extreme; just a plant or two at your desk can promote a calming effect when working long hours away from the outdoors.
Aside from something at the workplace, many of us do not live too far from proper outdoor areas full of plant life. This is not a suggestion that everyone goes camping to return to nature, but that is not discouraged. If you get outside and walk through a park or, better yet, through a forest near your home, it will do wonders for your emotional and physical well-being.
The stimulation of seeing things in an uncontrolled environment is therapeutic and relaxing. Studies show how spending time in nature allows the prefrontal cortex of the brain to relax and seemingly rest a bit. The prefrontal cortex is the portion of the brain that is basically the command center, greatly impacting conceptual thinking and attention. What nature deficit disorder is doing over time disallows cognitive relaxation, resulting in tiredness and brain fog.
It has been largely accepted by psychologists that the amount of attention and concentration capacity we have at our disposal is not endless. These levels slowly deplete throughout the day as we go about our work and other tasks that demand our cognitive attention.
Our brains engage in two separate types of attention, the first being directed attention. When we are using directed attention, we are focusing on the processing of specific stimuli while at the same time filtering out other surrounding physical and emotional distractions. As we go through this, from the moment we get in the car to go to work and all day until we arrive home, it becomes exhausting to the brain.
The second type of attention is referred to as effortless attention. This type of attention is what we experience when we are looking at a sunset or beautiful scenery. Even though there are still stimuli passing in front of us in the form of birds or other wildlife, they come in a non-threatening form. This has a restorative effect on the parts of the brain that are drained during directed attention. This recharge is necessary to combat the effects of what nature deficit disorder is doing to the brain in an ongoing fashion.
An example of the therapeutic aspects of exposure to nature and combating nature deficit disorder is what Stanford researcher Gregory Bratman showed when he examined nursing home patients. During the observations, nursing home residents with dementia showed improved mobility after spending time in a garden. Interestingly enough, even hospital patients with green views from their rooms also experienced faster surgery recovery. This mental improvement is astounding because it also seems to transform into physical improvement. There doesn’t seem to be any replacement for introducing natural scenery when considered from a mental health perspective.
It doesn’t have to be someone who is recovering from surgery or suffering from dementia who needs nature to recover. Every day, we are exposed to different situations and stimuli that break us down physically and mentally. The reason we draw attention to what nature deficit disorder is doing to us is so that we can understand how far-reaching its effects are. People who live within a half mile of green space are less likely to experience anxiety, heart problems, asthma, migraines, and other negative afflictions. What is rarely considered is how much the problems which arise in our minds affect our bodies. Anxiety has very large health implications when examined from a clinical perspective.
A large and complex network takes control when we are exposed to stressful situations. This network is known as the NeuroEndoMetabolic (NEM) Stress Response. This response directly relates to nature deficit disorder and how it affects us. Let’s begin by focusing on the neuroendocrine aspects of this response in the hypothalamus at the base of the brain. This is primarily handled through hormonal regulation. This hormonal response is mostly handled by the adrenals, thyroid, and reproductive glands. The Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) hormonal axis is the workhorse of stress communication throughout the body.
The primary stress hormone is cortisol, produced by the adrenal glands on top of the kidneys. This is the direct catalyst that drives the physical response to stress. There is also a substantial response from the thyroid gland that controls the speed at which the process occurs. Over time, these hormonal processes can become disrupted when the body is exposed to excessive stress and fatigue, often caused by both sedentary lifestyles and nature deficit disorder.
When, as discussed earlier, a person is disconnected from a natural environment for a long time, the healing effects of nature cannot take effect and help the body relax. It is in situations like these that people become fatigued and begin to feel the exhaustion of life stress without reprieve.
During times of stress and disconnection from the natural world, the body will eventually become so weary from combating stress and anxiety that it will develop Adrenal Fatigue (AF). Since the adrenal glands are the workhorse of the NEM Stress Response, they get the worst of it when it comes to the demand placed on them. There can be many causes of Adrenal Fatigue, including lack of sleep, anxiety, chronic inflammation, and others, but here we will focus on what nature deficit disorder is doing to trigger it.
Because there is not enough time to let the brain relax and reset in an individual who is experiencing nature deficit disorder, there is a high likelihood that it could cause that same person to fall into the throes of Adrenal Fatigue. It all begins to tie together because those same effects that you are feeling due to your disconnection with nature can also cause you to feel so poorly that you don’t want to make any changes to return to the environment that will help you.
Once the negative cycle of Adrenal Fatigue takes hold, your body will begin to weaken immunologically, have high levels of inflammation, feel lethargic, and can trigger even more anxiety and stress because you can’t get everything done that you need to in the first place. This only serves to reinforce the pattern that will keep you down. Once stress lowers the ability of the body to fight back, it’s easy to see how people succumb to the negativity and avoid reintroduction to the outdoors.
It is one thing to adapt to a new environment, a concrete jungle of sorts, but it is quite different to completely abandon the therapeutic natural environment that gives so much peace and joy that we all need. Spending a little time in a green space doesn’t have to be a burden or exercise; you can simply relax to help your mind recover from daily life. Refusing to take any time to admire and welcome our natural environments will likely cause our bodies to become overrun and could easily cause Adrenal Fatigue.
It must be mentioned that there are many causes of Adrenal Fatigue, and just because you think it may be your lack of exposure to nature doesn’t mean that’s the case. Your issues might be broader than that of what nature deficit disorder is adding. If you think you are suffering from severe Adrenal Fatigue, it is important to contact your healthcare practitioner and ensure that there isn’t anything else going on. Ignoring problems with your health can have consequences, but being aware and proactive is always good. Lastly, be sure to notice how your body is reacting to any changes that you make to be positive and that you’re acting safely and within the proper guidelines of wellness.
Beyond covering all of the different things to be worried about and the negative effects of disconnecting from nature, now it’s time to talk about how to use all of it to your advantage. There is much to be learned from those who take time for themselves to allow for mental and physical healing. A large portion of our culture has thrown away those tenants in favor of the nonstop hustle.
A great way to limit the effects of the NEM Stress Response is to allow time allotted specifically for relaxation. This can be difficult for some who like to be on the move. However, a quick stroll in your local park or a walk through the woods can greatly ease your mind. When you can help relieve the burden on your brain caused by continued directed attention, you will allow for a reset of some processes. This is why the adages “take a walk” or “go play outside” have some ring of truth. It is genuinely relaxing to be outside.
Once you embrace this time to relax outside, your cortisol levels will naturally begin to drop, easing some of the burden on the adrenal glands as they won’t have to produce as heavily. In turn, this will lower your blood pressure and inflammation levels and even improve your absorption in the gut. This will allow you to feel more refreshed and boost your energy levels. A common complaint of those suffering from Adrenal Fatigue is that they are continually exhausted and drained. Anything you can do to limit these issues should be welcomed with open arms, as we all know how difficult it is to perform under oppressive circumstances.
It is understood that not everyone will be able to spend much time outside, and you may not even have much access to the outdoors if you live in a large city or have a difficult schedule. Those in advanced stages of Adrenal Fatigue may be unable to tolerate temperature changes or direct sunlight excessively. Their body decompensates when outside their familiar environment at home. That is why earlier, we discussed bringing some plant life into your work and living space to combat what nature deficit disorder is affecting. There are two aspects through which plant introduction directly relates to Adrenal Fatigue recovery.
The first of these aspects revolves around the calming and rejuvenating effects of caring for plants. Many people find that tending to a garden or even house plants is a calming experience. Even if you are inside and only have a few plants to take care of, it can be a rewarding experience to cultivate life and see the fruits of your labor in action. This affects adrenal fatigue recovery because there is often a link between high stress levels and adrenal fatigue, so anything you do to help relax will contribute to recovery with a complete mind-body approach.
The second aspect of bringing plants into your environment is the power of visual stimulation mixed with effortless attention. Seeing natural patterns helps break up the always-structured images we see in our homes and at work. Because plants are naturally developed, they are always a bit different, and those visual inconsistencies help turn off the directed attention portions of our brains, allowing for rest. This time to take a step back and change our focus will often help to reduce anxiety and restlessness. Agitation and anger are large causes of Adrenal Fatigue and need to be monitored and limited. Having a therapeutic environment to live and work in will allow for a more peaceful mental state and aid in limiting the NEM Stress Response. All of this, plus the great benefit of plants providing cleaner air for us to breathe – a wonderful bonus.
A variety of aspects can be used to answer the question of what nature deficit disorder is, but there is a common thread that is important to note – we need nature. No matter how you incorporate it into your life, getting more of it is a good idea if you can manage it. Whether it’s through houseplants, walks outside, or even spending more time near a window with a view, you should be aware of how much exposure to nature you are getting.
Lack of natural contact might not be what you’re experiencing, so you may need to dig a bit deeper to discover what is causing your Adrenal Fatigue, but it won’t hurt to look into it. Before you introduce any suggestions promoted in this article into your routine, closely examine the best course of action for you. Allergies, seasons, and many other variables affect a person’s ability to engage in natural steps to Adrenal Fatigue recovery so make sure what you’re doing is right for you.
Concerned about the impact of Nature Deficit Disorder on your well-being? Give us a call at +1 (626) 571-1234 for personalized advice and strategies to reconnect with nature. Our experts are here to help you incorporate more nature into your daily life, boosting your health and happiness. Take the first step towards a more balanced and fulfilling life—call now!
Normally, what nature deficit disorder contributes to and influences most are tiredness and brain fog. There are wider symptoms, such as stress and poor concentration, that also affect many people. The best way to learn about how you’re influenced is to make personal changes and observe the results for yourself.
