Ah, nature, that thing outside our window.
As modern humans, we tend to draw a strict line between the natural world and the urbanized environments where most of our species now live. Everyone loves a good binary, but the indoor/outdoor, and natural/artificial divisions encourage us to forget a fundamental fact: We are walking, talking pieces of nature.
That mentality implies we can shut nature out as if it were a tv series we’d prefer to skip.
Some people embrace the identity of “nature lover,” but the truth is, as humans, we all need to connect to the natural world to be healthy, grounded and happy.
On the second episode of the “Happiness” series, Zac and Sarah explain why we are wired to thrive in nature. Delving into recent studies that confirm the benefit of nature for issues from stress to anxiety to isolation, they offer suggestions about how to find a way to connect that works for every individual, whether it’s getting a pet, taking a stroll in the park or kicking off your shoes.
Listen to find out what happens to our brain when we gaze off into the horizon, where Zac spent childhood vacations and how Sarah feels about mosquitos.