Nature is the best drug out there.
For the first decade
that I suffered from severe and almost daily migraines, I didn’t consider them
a gift. Yet, in a way — a very painful one — they are.
My headaches began
setting me apart from the rest of society at the age of 15. Back in 1996, my
brother got a Nintendo 64. Eager to try it out, I begged him to give me a turn.
But it was unmistakable — watching the screen gave me headaches.
In 2006, after trying
20 medications with limited success, my doctor gave me the prescription I’d
needed all along. “Unless you exercise outdoors for 30 minutes a day, there is
no pill I can give you that will help.”
At first my 30 minutes
of daily exercise consisted of brisk walks in my neighborhood, but I can’t say
I enjoyed them. Then I discovered hiking.
Growing up in the
Midwest, I wasn’t an outdoorsy kid. I was like many Americans: I sat on the
couch. I watched TV. I read books. I played board games. Going outside meant
getting dirty, or sweaty, or hot, or cold, or bit by mosquitoes. Maybe other
people liked that, but not me.
Hiking where I live
now, Southern California, is a different story. The weather is perfect and
there aren’t any mosquitoes. It’s like a gateway drug to loving nature. And
truly, nature is the best drug out there.
Studies now show that
spending time in nature — with or without exercise — providescognitive and
psychological benefits. Even looking out the window at trees can
help.
Apparently, after
forcing yourself to pay attention to things you must focus on (work,
instructions from doctors, income tax forms), you become mentally fatigued.
Sleep provides some relief, but not enough. Nature, it turns out, provides your
brain the restoration it requires to get back to concentrating on that
important stuff again.
Another study found that
spending just 20 minutes in nature reduced stress — and stress is a major risk
factor in many diseases since it suppresses your immune system.
But science is telling
us what people who love the outdoors intuitively know. I often refer to “my
mountain” (where I hike almost daily) as my gym, my church, my social scene,
and my classroom. And wildflower season is “my Christmas.”
For some people,
turning off the TV and getting outside requires willpower. Not for me. If I
watched a Breaking Bad marathon instead of hiking, I’d pay for
it with a crippling migraine.
By forcing me to get
outside, my migraines gave me the impetus needed to figure out how to get
outside in ways that make me happy. It’s a matter of trial and error, finding
the right gear, activities, and companions to meet your needs, and learning how
to deal with nature even though you utterly cannot control it. Years ago, I
would have been terrified to meet a rattlesnake on a trail. Now, I whip out my
camera when I see one.
Most people don’t have
migraines or doctors wise enough to prescribe nature as medicine. As much as I
love my mountain, I had to be forced to go find it. Without debilitating
headaches, I would have stayed indoors on the couch.
My migraines are only
a more pronounced warning sign of a truth everyone must accept: We all need to
get outdoors to stay healthy. For our bodies, yes, but also for our minds and
our spirits.
Your soul is hungry
for nature. Go feed it!
OtherWords columnist Jill Richardson is
the author of Recipe for America: Why Our Food System Is Broken and
What We Can Do to Fix It. OtherWords.org