Nature Deficit Disorder and Mental Health
In our culture today, we spend a lot of time indoors—in our heads or distracted by screens, navigating the ebb and flow of information coming at us on a daily basis. For many of us, the option to untether or unplug is rife with complexity as we use devices for school, work, and day-to-day tasks and activities. The omnipresence of screens can influence behavioral patterns and mental health, and we’re witnessing some of the results of tech as we hurdle forward. Attention is compromised, and we may feel side effects from this way of life, such as stress and anxiety, fragmentation, dissociation, or even memory loss. The question becomes, for many of us, how free are we, truly? Untethering and unplugging in a hyperconnected world are becoming luxuries, and the awareness of what’s happening can inspire shifts. This is no time to look away—or is it?
What is Nature Deficit Disorder?
Nature-deficit disorder (NDD) is a term coined in the early 2000s by Richard Louv, an American journalist. The phrase nature deficit disorder is featured far and wide, including in the New York Times, and references the diminished experience humans have when they’re away from natural spaces. The term has been highlighted, especially over the past decade, as behavioral patterns shift. Too much time indoors is potentially impacting us negatively as we drift away from nature. NDD can cause diminished attention, vitamin depletion, and emotional stress, among other concerns. We need time outside.
The body needs nature. When we are in the trees, near the ocean, or even viewing images of such scenery, we experience a host of benefits. According to a review from the National Institutes of Health, our physiology improves after time spent in the outdoors.
A recent systematic review of more than 40 experimental studies indicates that measures of heart rate, blood pressure, and perceived stress provide the most convincing evidence that exposure to nature or outdoor environments may reduce the negative effects of stress.
Further, mental health, anxiety and depression, immune function, cardiovascular health, diabetes, cancer, allergies/asthma, post-operative recovery, and sleep all reap benefits from exposure to natural spaces and time outside. The benefits vary, depending on duration, consistency, and many other factors, but the simple fact is that natural spaces promote health.
Nature and the Brain
Along with the body, the brain, in particular, needs nature. Research demonstrates that being outside can directly affect brain function, including cognitive control. A study found that consistent exposure to nature can restore and enhance attention and executive functioning in children, adolescents, and young adults.
In fact, evidence show that the mind engaged in consistent screen activity is diminished, including memory, emotional capacity, and cognition. One study, in particular, found that among those aged 18 to 25, technology poses a risk of neural degeneration. Another study found that excessive screen time reduces self-regulation, causing the cerebral cortex to thin. This is significant since this region is directly connected to processing memory, thereby affecting other areas such as decision-making and problem-solving. It’s one thing if we are on devices during set times, such as in the office or at our desks, but what happens when we are passively engaged, simply scrolling, or “doom scrolling,” as they say.
Maris Loeffler, MA, Family and Marriage Therapist, and member of the Stanford Lifestyle Medicine Cognitive Enhancement team, notes:
“Passive screen time is like eating sugar but for your brain. It ‘tastes’ good, and you want it now, but you’re not actually feeding yourself. You’re not giving your brain any nutrition…Instead, replace screen time with an intentional healthy habit that feeds your brain in a healthy way. Lifestyle medicine activities, like exercise, good sleep, social connection, and stress management, function like ‘nutrition’ for your brain and mental health.”
How to Treat Nature Deficit Disorder
The pervasive ubiquity of screens warrants deeper reflection on personal agency and self-actualization. If the default is bed rotting and doom scrolling, the question becomes, how do we mitigate the impact and veer toward healthful habits? How do we create the mental space to detach and look away, or more importantly, look up? The simple act of constantly looking down at a device influences our energy, our disposition, our chi, if you will. Hence, the solution = time outside.
“In adventure, we can immerse ourselves in the present experience without overanalyzing it. Nature offers a respite from the oppressive aspects of tech, seating our awareness in our senses. Here, in the bounty of the immediate, we find space to ground. When we recognize the connection between time outdoors and our health, we can apply the learnings in every aspect of life.”—Tim Walsh, CEO and founder of Adventure Recovery
Nature Deficit Disorder and Mental Health
To talk about nature deficit disorder and mental health, we end up talking about screens, because if we are suffering a deficit of time outdoors, something else is filling that time = technology. Specifically, social media is playing a huge role, especially for kids and teens. Identity formation, a significant part of the adolescent experience, is now being dramatically influenced by the digisphere. There are positives to social connection, but there are pitfalls to the medium, as teens glide along the cascading surfaces of artifice that are inevitable on these platforms. The threats within the world of socials are a whole other article, but the reality is, the medium becomes the message, and the unavoidably superficial aspect of social media has an effect. Studies show that while the brain is still developing, technology can significantly impact executive function, emotional awareness, self-regulation, and mood.
The Mental Health Solution for Tech Addiction
The solution is one of balance, and as our culture as a whole realizes the impact the ubiquitous screens are having, the need to shift is stronger than ever. And it’s happening. Many are switching from smartphones to “dumb phones” or flip-phones. Folks are scheduling time on and time off to cultivate tech-free space with friends and family. Parents and caregivers are holding meals, phone-free, without devices at the table. Schools are starting to implement policies that limit usage. The shift begins within, and it is possible to incorporate the digital detox into our daily living.
The awareness around tech and how we spend our time is a big part of why Adventure Recovery exists as a critical touch point for many. For all of us on the AR Crew, we see our own addictive tech-driven patterns, and our approach is one of compassionate awareness. Even sharing content online or on social media is handled strategically by our team, so we can be present for activities without filtering every moment of our presence through the screen.
We schedule as best as we can, sharing the hope and bliss on our expressions as we reach the summit, surf the wave, and climb that rock. This isn’t about perfection; it’s about awareness and progress.
The Nature Prescription
For our clients, the opportunity to get out and explore the natural world can be profoundly healing and transformative. The nature prescription taps into ancestral medicine that touches us at a deep level. It connects us to our history, our sense of place, our sense of belonging.
Nature gets us away from the devices and trappings we’re used to, and into new sights and sounds that open perspective. Anxiety, depression, substance use, and addictive patterns—all of these can be exacerbated by technology use. However, when we get out there and share new adventures together, we build upon a foundation of self-regard, interpersonal relationships, and life beyond the noise.
“The technology we have access to today is a tool—the power and influence of which is often misunderstood. We see this play out in clients who experience stress and anxiety, social awkwardness, and, at times, a lack of willingness to disconnect from the devices. When we get outside and leave the tether of the virtual world, or at least put it on airplane mode, clients can tap into the real world and apply physical and emotional skills. We often think phones make us feel more connected, but they can also leave us feeling isolated and separated from others and ourselves. This is a big part of why we go.”—Josh Flaherty, LCSW, Executive Director of Adventure Recovery
On a recent outing with friends from a local treatment center, McCall Behavioral Health, participants shared their feedback on the day. Here is a quote from a client about being in nature, offline.
“Adventure Recovery was an amazing experience. Just being out in nature among peers was so relaxing and freeing from all worries and stress. I look forward to any and all other outings. It was great to feel a connection with my surroundings as well as with my inner self.”
This is why we go.
See you out there.