Kathriona Devereux: A day in nature is balm for the soul and even keeps you young

It was one of those mornings. I was on my way to host an event in Dublin, leaving home at 6.30am to catch the train to the big smoke.

I usually cycle to the train station, bring my bike on board, and cycle about my business in Dublin without the stress of traffic or driving.

I had a leisurely morning planned - a blow-dry, a coffee, read my notes, and arrive at the event prepared and serene. Alas, the universe had other plans.

The chain came off my bike as I was leaving the house so I lost precious minutes fixing that, making sure my clothes didn’t get grubby, and then ferociously scrubbing my hands because greasy fingers are not acceptable at fancy corporate functions.

Now late, I cycled furiously into an icy wind to catch the train. At Kent, I was met by a long queue and a dark train. Good news - I hadn’t missed the train. Bad news - something was up with it.

Passengers looked about wondering if an Irish Rail worker was going to crank up the engine soon or at least explain the delay. Nothing.

A man in front of me said the same thing had happened the day before and it was 8.15am before it departed. Eek! I did not have time for this and couldn’t risk a significant delay.

So, I cycled back home, had another shower, washed and blow dried my hair, and cycled like a woman possessed back to town to catch the 8am Aircoach. I arrived at my event just one minute late.

Even though the train let me down, the Aircoach saved the day, and public transport was still the sensible option.

It was a wonderful event about the huge efforts some organisations are undertaking to be sustainable and cut emissions. I went home heartened and with a present of half a dozen organic free range eggs from a panellist - which is pretty much the most perfect end to a day’s work in my mind.

But the morning rush and the busyness of Dublin had left me frazzled. Fortunately, I had planned a day of last minute tree planting in a family field in Tipperary, so I spent the following day planting rowan, alder, willow, and hawthorn in the sunshine with the Knockmealdown Mountains at my back.

I had a leisurely chat with an old friend in the whispering shade of an old sycamore tree. I drank tea from a glass jar under the budding boughs. The cow parsley was blooming, the field was alive with bees and bird sound.

I downloaded the Merlin Bird ID app and marvelled as it recognised the calls of willow warblers, barn swallows, chiffchaffs, robins, and wrens. Nine species of birds were chatting around me and the whole scenario was a balm for my nervous system after a hectic day in Dublin the day before.

A day in nature sometimes is the best medicine.

On the way home, I felt restored, measurably restored as it turns out.

Back in 2019, researchers analysed data from nearly 20,000 people in England and found that those who spend at least 120 minutes in nature a week are significantly more likely to report good health and higher psychological wellbeing than those who don’t visit nature at all during an average week.

It doesn’t matter if it’s a trip to your local urban park, beach, a mountain hike or if you spend the time all in one session or spread over the week. The results are so significant that prescribing time in green spaces has become a health intervention and planning and building more green spaces in urban areas, where the majority of the world’s population live, is a critical public health measure.

A major study drawing on data from millions of people over seven countries found that high levels of neighbourhood greenery have been linked to decreases in hypertension, diabetes and cardiovascular mortality.

Living in lush areas with plenty of vegetation and biodiversity is lifesaving, and therefore efforts to increase and manage green spaces must be considered as a prudent public health intervention.

Japan has been reaping the benefits of forest bathing or ‘shinrin-yoku’ for decades. Trees help lower stress responses, which in turn helps protect our immune systems.

Time amongst trees also exposes us to beneficial organic compounds called phytoncides which have a protective antimicrobial effect on us.

A 2023 study found that people who live near green spaces were two-and-a-half years younger biologically. Researchers analysed the ageing biomarkers in people’s DNA and looked at their long-term 20-year exposure to green spaces and found that living close to nature may actually slow the cellular clock.

A few years ago, an NHS pilot programme in the UK referred more than 8,500 people to nature-based social interactions such as community gardens, outdoor exercise classes, and other activities, and found statistically significant improvements in mental health and wellbeing in those who took part.

Green social prescribing, linking patients to nature-based activities, is now a bona fide health intervention across the UK.

So the science is in. Nature is healing. Of course it is. We are a species who have evolved mainly outside, moving our bodies - as opposed to mainly inside, sat on our bums!

It’s only in the last hundred or so years that we’ve started sitting down indoors for most of our lives.

The science tells us what we intuitively know, people deeply immersed in nature throughout their lives are likely benefiting from chronic stress reduction, immune system support from forest phytoncides, lower cardiovascular risk, and sustained physical activity.

With all the darkness in the world at the moment, it is good to be reminded that something as simple as spending time in nature can measurably improve your mood, health and wellbeing.

And that often it’s the simple things in life - a deep breath in a deep forest - that are the best.