wDr. Hen Alison Greenwood worked 30 years ago as a young teacher in London, and she participated in a stressful GP surgery. She asked for an antidepressant, but instead he advised what she did not expect, but at that time GP rarely suggested.
“He said to me: ‘Well, what you need to do is to go outside.’ She advised her to jog regularly along the Thames, and the benefits were transformative.” I have been doing the same 5km jogging every week. “
His advice today is not surprising. In recent years, GPS’s green society prescriptions for mental health (often group activities such as horticulture or outdoor swimming) are relatively common.
However, 58 -year -old Greenwood later switched his career. Counselor psychologists began to wonder if nature would be more likely to be a “true alternative” for clinical recovery tools, not just a comfortable environment for mood boost activities and communities, but a “true alternative” for treatment and drugs.
“I was interested in how it could be used so that people could get better while doing other things because the nature is good,” she explains, “she explains.
She began to study the connection between nature and health and found that other regions of the world were ahead of the UK. Many studies have shown that nature’s impact on the brain and body still does not spread nature for nature, as in countries like Japan.
Greenwood is pushing for change. In 2018, she founded the dose of charity, and the 43 -year -old Dr. Georgina Gound’s clinical program was clinically led by Richmond and Kingston’s Thames, Southwest London, and Surrey’s Guildford to addiction and trauma to more than 2,000 patients. We have established this program prescribed by more than 60 GPSs.
Dr. Alison Greenwood and Dr. Georgina Gould
The patient completes the standard questionnaire that NHS patients answer for treatments such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) through early sessions with psychologists. Then once a week for eight weeks, they walk with natural volunteers to encourage “notify” nature.
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The patient must make this a habit every day. The result was impressive. The closing session with the psychologist repeats the questionnaire and the average recovery rate is 59 %compared to 49 %of NHS CBT. In addition, the rate of “stable improved” was 84 %last year, compared to 67 %of NHS CBT.
How can we administer our own green? What Greenwood recommends is:
Plants provide antibacterial chemicals -go out and breathe.
If you breathe in the green space, you have advantages to immune function. Greenwood said, “All plants protect the fighter aerial chemicals called phytoncides from threats and protect things like insects and bacteria.” We breathe them, and antibacterial, antiviral characteristics increase white blood cells, natural killer cells. ” Attacks, according to one test, it is enough to increase the body’s natural murderer cells for 12 hours.
The dose of nature is encouraged to walk for an hour a day, and if possible, it encourages you to go out every hour in the “fast coffee from the back door” or in the dark.
Discard the headphones
According to Greenwood Nature, there is a “active ingredient” and the fastest influence on the nervous system is the sound. It means you have to try without a headphone when you are on a walk.
Greenwood said, “When we are outside, we switch from the sympathetic nervous system to the ‘fight or flight’ response to the parasympathetic nervous system and ‘rest and digestion’.
This is helped by listening to natural sounds such as Birdsong and The Wind. In contrast, we say, “We don’t like to growl in the plane because our brain has not evolved to love it.
Greenwood advises not only to turn off the podcast playlist, but also to pause the chatter if you are with someone. “Don’t say 5 minutes, close your eyes, listen closely, relax and listen further.”
Time to find out the ‘fractal’ pattern around you and have a positive effect on your brain.
Endless patterns (endless patterns) are everywhere in the outdoors from outside to the swirl of the snail peel. Greenwood can deliberately increase the alpha wave of the brain when tracking or drawing with the fingertips along the branch with the branches, which is an indicator of a “unbroken state”.
This is advantageous for those who make us feel vibrant, overcome depression and addiction, and replace toxicity as high in nature.
Another popularity of her favorite is “Tree Sachs.” I lie down under the tree and look at it.
Greenwood said, “Our own system is made of fractal pattern. The pattern of the hand is very similar to the pattern of leaves.” We are seeing these patterns for our entire evolutionary history. “
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It will be dirty-the wet soil contains stress rupture chemicals.
Greenwood said, “No one has suggested that we should do it.” But she is a good idea to run her finger through the soil, take off her horticultural gloves and lift them into her nose.
She said, “Damp soil is especially pleased with the brain because it contains a chemical called MyCobacterium Vaccae, which is particularly beneficial.
Studies have shown that people with bacteria have a higher score in welfare and cognitive tests and have increased their ability to overcome stress.
Pick up the stick
Greenwood said, “I ask the customer, ‘When did you finally pick up the stick and hit the tree?’
“It will not be after 6 years old. I do it to them and know what it is fun.”
She explains that when we play in nature, we are connected to it and make us feel safe. She often includes creativity as a theater and encourages the patient to make mandala -the circular configuration of the symbol using leaves, petals, fir cones and gravel.
“We don’t tend to touch nature,” she says. “And we have the effect of relieved when we touch things that we are familiar with.”
‘Feel small
A small feeling can be positive. The way to do so is to find the “awe and wonder” in essence. You don’t have to be a Grand Canyon, you can find the star shining sky or the first snow drop.
Greenwood says that research is relatively new in this field, but it seems that it seems to have a correlation with well -being for people who have more awe in life.
She says: “When you have a moment of awe, you can have a physiological, goose bump or tingling, and it’s very strange to goose bumps because it’s similar to the tired feeling.”
One theory is related to the structure of “small self”. “It is a kind of relief that we may not be as important as what we think in the inspiring nature company.” Greenwood says. “Suddenly, we actually start thinking. It’s okay. I don’t have to worry about it very small.”
For more information doseofnature.org.uk