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Ecotherapy is an approach that rests on the idea that people have a deep connection to their environment and to the earth itself. In this same line of thinking,failing to nurture this connection can take a toll on your well-being,particularly your mental health.
Though ecopsychology is an emerging field,the consensus among experts remains consistent: Spending time in nature can have a pretty positive impact on your mental health.
➖What Are The Different Types?
Ecotherapy can involve loosely structured activities, such as walking along the beach or going for a hike in a forested area.Some of these approaches include:
▪️Community gardening or farming: Gardening with neighbors on shared land offers the chance to grow your own produce, build relationships,and spend time working outdoors.Some programs also teach basic farming tasks like tending animals or crops.
▪️Wilderness or adventure therapy: This approach to mental health treatment teaches coping techniques and therapeutic skills to teens and young adults as they camp and hike in the wilderness with their peers.
▪️Park prescriptions: Increasing numbers of healthcare providers and mental health professionals are starting to recommend that people spend a specific amount of time each week visiting a park or pursuing other outdoor activities.
▪️Forest bathing: Slightly more than a walk in the park, this practice encourages the mindful use of your five senses as you ramble through forests or similarly tree-heavy settings.
▪️Animal-assisted therapy: Petting, playing,or working with animals like horses, dogs, and birds outdoors can offer another way to manage stress.
▪️Outdoor meditation and yoga: Yoga and meditation offer well-established benefits,but they might prove even more rewarding outside.
➖What Are The Benefits?
▪️More opportunities for social connection: A sense of oneness with nature can feel pretty great,but you probably need some human connection,too. Ecotherapy often takes place in group therapy settings, but you can connect with others even outside of formal therapy.
▪️Motivation to exercise: Many ecotherapy practices will get you out of the house and moving. Even gardening,which may not seem so strenuous at first, involves plenty of movement.
▪️Increased mindfulness: Calming sounds, like birds chirping or the rustling of leaves,can help you detach from ordinary stressors of everyday life.