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sign at Nuuksio National Park trailhead inviting visitors to "recharge your brain in nature"
“There is mounting evidence, from dozens and dozens of researchers, that nature has benefits for both physical and psychological human well-being.” ~Lisa Nesbit
“There is mounting evidence, from dozens and dozens of researchers, that nature has benefits for both physical and psychological human well-being.” ~Lisa Nesbit
Student mental health and well-being are essential components of academic success and personal development. With increasing pressures from academic workloads, social expectations, and life transitions, many students experience stress, anxiety, and other mental health challenges. Supporting mental well-being involves creating an environment that promotes emotional resilience, encourages open conversations about mental health, and provides access to professional resources.
Whether it's in schools, saunas, workplaces, or parks, Finland places people and their well-being at the center of policy and decision-making. Like many things in Finnish society, there is not one obvious approach or program that focuses on well-being, but many subtle and thoughtful steps that combine to provide care for people of all ages.
Nature-related benefits
Nature-related benefits
In population studies, residents with nature nearby feel healthier than those who don’t. (Salonen, 2023)
PHYSICAL WELL-BEING
Being in nature relieves stress physiologically:
decreases cortisol, a hormone related to stress; this leads to decreases in blood pressure, heart rate, and muscle tension
slows activation of peripheral nervous system (PNS), which contributes to feeling of calming
beneficial physiological effects observed after just 15-20 minutes in nature
other benefits include strengthened immune system, better sleep, motor development in children
(Puhakka, 2023)
SUPPORTING LEARNING
The brains of active people are healthier, especially the frontal lobe. This portion of the brain controls activity and attention, and is also related to memory.
(Huotilainen, 2023)
OTHER BENEFITS
In workplaces, employees who go outdoors more often and longer report better productivity. The strongest correlation in the study was with people who went outside during work.
Processing in nature
Processing in nature
SUPPORTING
Teaching outdoors offers many important opportunities for processing environmental feelings.
Emotions are related to environmental behavior and the formation of environmental attitudes:
-feelings of caring and empathy have received most attention; people want to protect what they care about
-influence of emotions is more central than previously believed
In outdoor environments, some emotions can be handled implicitly (going outside offers a release of emotional energy).
Beyond the release that can accompany going outside, it's important for educators to keep an eye on other emotions.
HANDLING ENVIRONMENTAL ANXIETY
For most, this manifests as worry and occasional sadness, but it can also include guilt.
The challenge for educators is to face these feelings constructively.
Finland + Happiness
Finland + Happiness
While it was not the focus of my research, I could not look into well-being in Finland without finding many articles about happiness. The reason? For the 8th year in a row, Finland is the "World's Happiest Country" based on the World Happiness Report published annually by the United Nations. For some sources that focus specifically on happiness in Finland, please click below.
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