Many studies have found psychological benefits of nature exhibition, whether you are simply in the presence of a green space, actively participating in a nature-focused activity, or simply viewing representations of nature. But the underlying reason that time in nature can be so restorative is often based on one idea: the biophilia hypothesis.
“Humans have an innate attraction to other life forms and life-like processes, which can be considered as a healthy or pleasant nature.” —John Zelenski, PhD, professor of psychology
“This is the notion that humans have an innate attraction to other life forms and life-like processes, which can be thought of as a healthy or pleasurable nature,” he says. Dr. John Zelensky, professor of psychology at Carleton University and director of the Carleton University Happiness Laboratory. In other words? Green natural spaces just feel good because these environments have, for millennia, facilitated our health and survival.
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Since camping is nothing more than a full, and often days-long, immersion in that kind of wilderness, it’s no wonder it can feel rejuvenating. In fact, in a recent Pinterest survey, 96 percent of campers reported that camping improves their mental health, and 91 percent cited relaxation as the reason for taking a camping trip. And in the previous Kampgrounds of America survey, 75 percent of respondents said camping reduces their stress and contributes to their emotional well-being.
These numbers point to certain mental health benefits of camping that may extend even beyond the nature-related perks of, say, a hike or lunch break in an urban park. “It is clear that even a small dose of nature, such as a few minutes, can contribute to well-being, but even so, I strongly suspect that longer periods of time offer something different and good,” says Dr. Zelenski. In large part, that’s because all the science on nature exposure points to the fact that it supports our mental health and abilities, and, he says, there’s reason to think that the more we get out of it (in the style of a full camp), we’d better do it. I will pay.
5 Cognitive and Mental Health Benefits of Going Wilderness Camping
1. Less stress
Exposure to green spaces has been proven to be an antidote to stress (and camping typically offers a lot of that). Why? The “stress reduction theory” on nature and health postulates that the stimuli of natural environments (trees, streams, mountains, lakes) are perceived much more pleasantly by people than those of built environments such as cities. And that, in turn, can lead a person in nature to experience lower cortisol levels and less of the fight-or-flight feeling inherent in stress.
It may also be the case that more remote camping spots can offer even more of that de-stressing calm than, say, a trip to a city park. A 2017 survey of over 4,500 people in England found that respondents noted higher levels of connection to and restoration of nature when recalling trips to rural and coastal locations compared to urban green spaces.
Some of those additional mental health benefits of visiting or camping in remote places may be related to the landscape of the places themselves; it is also possible that there is a positive psychological association between remote places and getting away from it all. “In modern life, exposure to nature often means a break or escape from everyday responsibilities,” says Dr. Zelenski. The more remote your camping trip, for example, the more powerful the separation can feel, and the more relaxing the trip can be as a result.
2. More positive emotions
On the other side of the stress coin are all the positive emotions that want be feeling, many of which a camping trip can also bring about. A 2019 survey including nearly 20,000 people in the UK found that those who spent at least two hours per week in nature significantly reported higher levels of subjective well-being than those who spent less time in nature. Presumably any camping trip would easily exceed that time threshold.
More generally, a variety of studies have linked exposure to nature in various ways with higher levels of life satisfactionsays Dr. Zelensky.
Some of these mental health benefits could be a direct result of nature’s impact on the body: when you camp and spend a lot of time outside in the sunlight, for example, your increase levels of the feel-good neurotransmitter serotoninand when you touch the earth directlyits electrical charge can actually help stabilize your nervous system (based on studies on walking barefoot, called “grounding” or “grounding”), He says patty devries, chief experience officer for wellness consultancy Living Well USA. “When we connect with the ground, we also find ourselves Mycobacterium vaccae [a bacteria naturally present in soil]which triggers a release of serotoninalso, it acts as a natural antidepressant,” he adds.
Part of nature’s positive effect on mood is also the result of feeling more connected to nature while you’re at it. Research has shown that having a high level of connection with nature, also known as feeling emotionally entwined with nature—can increase your level of eudemonic well-beingor the kind of long-term happiness that comes from feeling like you have a purpose in life.
3. Increased creativity and attention span
Stimuli from nature can also play a role in allowing thoughts and ideas to flow without interruption. in a small 2012 study of 56 people who embarked on a four-day wilderness tripThe researchers found that the group of participants who completed a creative problem-solving task on the fourth day of the trip performed 50 percent better than the group who completed the task before the trip.
Some of that improvement could simply have been the result of spending a few days without tech gadgets and all the annoying noises that come with it. But scientists also posit that nature itself can improve your attention span through something called “attention restoration theory.”
“The idea is that people have information needs and that nature finds a sweet spot to meet those needs,” says Dr. Zelenski. “While boredom is unpleasant and unrefreshing, and contemporary urban life often offers too Mentally stimulating, nature offers things of potential interest, but rarely demands strong focus for long periods of time.” The resulting feeling of being comfortably stimulated enough by your surroundings may be why time spent in nature has also been shown to improve performance on working memory and attentional control tasks.
4. A feeling of revitalization
In a series of studies conducted in 2010, it was shown that various types of imagined and real exposure to natural environments increase participants’ subjective measures of vitality, which is generally defined as your sense of vitality, enthusiasm, and zest for life. That increase in mental energy remained constant even when the researchers controlled for the potential physical and social activity a person might do while spending time outdoors in nature.
Although scientists aren’t exactly sure what lies at the root of that “high” nature, so to speak, it may stem from the simple fact that nature is a “prototypical awe-inducing prototypical,” says Dr. Zelenski. That’s it, be in nature and even immerse yourself in nature through virtual reality can induce a sense of wonder. That alone can lift your mood and contributes to your mental well-being.
5. A stronger connection with others
The same awe that induces a “natural high” can trigger a reminder that you’re just a small part of a much larger whole, says Dr. Zelenski. That feeling can, in turn, increase your sense of connection to other people, even potentially leading you to treat them with more kindness and generosity.
As evidence? Consider the 2015 study (authored by Dr. Zelensky) of 111 people who were shown nature documentaries or videos about architectural landmarks before being asked to play a cooperative fishing game. Those who had viewed the nature video were significantly more likely to cooperate well with others.
That tendency may simply be the result of nature bringing us back to ourselves, de Vries says. “In nature, we can be creative, resourceful, and energetic without feeling the need to judge or evaluate others,” he says. And without that sense of comparison, it can be easier to not only treat others with more compassion, but also feel more comfortable in your own skin.
