Often times, it does not easily come to one’s mind how influential the environment around us could be. The place you were born, where you grew up, where you went to school, places you’ve been to, and the people you’ve encountered all play a part in influencing who you are as a person, the way you behave, the emotions you feel, and many other factors. The study of the environment’s influence on people’s neurobiology and the way it is responsible for our behaviors and emotions is known as environmental neuroscience. It is a field of neuroscience that has been slowly growing recently as researchers are beginning to develop a better understanding of what causes us humans to be the way we are. Trying to understand humans and their neurobiology is a study that never leaves the field of neuroscience.
One paper that emphasizes the importance of environmental neuroscience is a recent study published in 2019 by Marc G. Berman et al., titled “Environmental Neuroscience.” Berman and his team stress the importance of environmental neuroscience since, as mentioned previously, it is a slowly growing field that focuses on the relationship between organisms and the social and physical environments they are a part of (Berman et al., 2019). To present their arguments further, they have done some experiments where they take measurements of temporal and spatial scales that interplay with one another and impact behavior (Berman et al., 2019). One of the experiments noted the benefits we experience when we can interact with nature by taking nature walks. Some findings that the research team notes in their research are that there is a decrease in aggression when one has more (or has the privilege of) exposure to nature. Their research focuses on the city of Chicago (they also make similar correlations in New York City); the team observes that areas with more parks and nature have less crime and increased street activity (Berman et al., 2019).
So we see that getting in touch and engaging with nature affects human behavior. The best (and perhaps easiest) way to engage with nature is by going on a nature walk, as Berman and his team claimed. Although their findings are significant, this research team was not the first nor the only one to make those conclusions. Researchers are conducting many studies and making many realizations that go hand in hand with what Berman and his team claim in his paper. Now, this is where “hot girl walks” from the title of this post comes to play. Hot girl walks are walks taken to clear the mind, focus on mental health, and enjoy what the world around you has to offer. One can walk alone, with a friend, with family, or even with a large group. Hot girl walks have one goal, to make you feel good, refreshed, and rejuvenated.
This is discussed further in a recent news article titled, “1-Hour Walk through Nature Lowers Stress, New Research Shows,” by Beth JoJack. Several claims are present throughout the article, and they go hand-in-hand with Berman’s study. Like Berman’s research, JoJack mentions in her article that due to cities not having much greenery and nature, people who live in urban areas suffer from more mental health disorders, which can lead to conflicts like violence (JoJack 2022). In addition, there have been studies showing that living in the city increases the activity of the amygdala, which results in higher levels of stress and fear (JoJack 2022). To reduce that stress, JoJack states that all it takes is an hour-long nature walk (JoJack 2022). This claim was found accurate in a study done by researcher where they studied the brain activity of participants of various ages and genders before and after a walk in nature and a walk on a busy street using functional magnetic resonance imaging. Some findings include that when one was to walk in a more natural environment, stress levels came back lower. The opposite was true when one walked in an urban environment (JoJack 2022). Fortunately enough, in the United Kingdom, the National Health Service (NHS) began prescribing nature walks as a solution for those struggling with various mental and physical health issues (Wallersteiner et al., 2022). There is an article composed by Rebecca Wallersteiner alongside her research team titled, “Nature Walks Should Be Prescribed as a Health Solution,” that discusses this topic further.
My goal for you all after reading this blog post is that you all have learned some valuable information and gained some insight. There are three things I hope you were able to get out of this: 1) you learned some more about environmental neuroscience and its significance to our neurobiologies. 2) You learned the importance of engaging with nature through walking through natural environments for our brains. 3) That soon enough, you can have the privilege to take a hot girl walk: whether it is alone, with a friend, or with your family. Especially as hard-working college students, your brain could use a well-deserved hot girl walk.
Works Cited
Berman, Marc G., et al. “Environmental Neuroscience.” American Psychologist, vol. 74, no. 9, 22 Oct. 2019, pp. 1039–1052., https://doi.org/10.1037/amp0000583.
JoJack, Beth. “1-Hour Walk through Nature Lowers Stress, New Research Shows.” Medical News Today, MediLexicon International, 11 Sept. 2022, https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/1-hour-walk-through-nature-lowers-stress-research-shows.
Wallersteiner, Rebecca, et al. “Nature Walks Should Be Prescribed as a Health Solution.” The Hippocratic Post, 5 Oct. 2022, https://www.hippocraticpost.com/mental-health/nature-walks-should-be-prescribed-as-a-health-solution/.
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