One third of the world’s population feels more or less lonely. It shows a global survey among 23,000 people in 28 countries from the statistics company Statista. Loneliness is not only mentally hard for the individual, but it is also life threatening. Research shows that the risk of premature death for people who feel lonely is equal to or even greater than with well-known risk factors such as smoking, alcohol, obesity and physical inactivity. There are several different tools you can use to reduce the feeling of loneliness. A new and surprising method has been found to combat loneliness. A new study, published in the scientific journal Scientific Reports, shows that green areas in cities can reduce feelings of loneliness – even if you just walk alone. – We feel less lonely in the open air, because nature does not judge us, it makes no demands – it is only there, says psychologist Trine Karsholt, who herself holds several of her psychologist talks in nature. – You do not have to perform, and nature calms your nervous system. We come to a state of attachment and relaxation that one can not get by walking in a large crowd or by looking at buildings. There is room for emotions in nature In the new research, psychologists from Kings College University in London have collected data from 752 subjects from around the world. The subjects have several times daily answered questions about the environment and the feeling of loneliness, such as “do you feel welcome among the people around you?” or “can you see trees right now?”. – It is super important that there is variety of experiences in the cities, says Lasse Thomas Edlev, naturopath and author of the book Naturterapi. – The desire to be social or alone changes. It becomes easier to listen to one’s needs, if the city is not too monotonous and nature is an integral part of it. The British researchers received more than 16,000 answers. Their results showed that even when the subjects were alone but could see trees, the sky or hear birds, the feeling of loneliness decreased by 28 percent. When they felt socially included, loneliness decreased by 21 percent. If the two things happened synchronously, such as by going for a walk in a park with a friend, the beneficial effect was amplified by 18 percent. Lasse Thomas Edlev explains that it is because nature opens up a larger register of emotions. Loneliness does not mean being alone. It can also be lonely if we have feelings that are difficult to talk about loudly. In everyday life we have some clear routines and rhythms, but when you get out into nature you can find new profits to apply for company. – Emotions can be anxiety-provoking, and that is why we push them away from us in everyday life. They can be easier to receive and talk to others about in nature. The vitality of nature Data from the EU show that green areas in Europe’s cities have grown by 38 per cent in the last 25 years. Globally, green areas have grown by 12 percent in the same period. Almost half of Europe’s population lives within 300 meters of a green area. However, the number of square meters of green space per inhabitant varies greatly from city to city. In many cities, there is still a need for more and larger public parks. In Germany, for example, 40 percent of the country’s inhabitants live in districts with insufficient green areas. Lasse Thomas Edlev believes that nature is crucial for the positive effect it has on one’s mental health. – Walking in nature is so deeply rooted in us. Therefore, it is important that there is an opportunity to experience a piece of this in their urban environment. We get a kind of life force from nature.
ttn-70
Loneliness withers when trees take root in cities
