Using Nature to Relieve Stress Essay -- Emotions Environmental Essays

Using Nature to Relieve Stress Hectic and busy lives seem to be the norm and a major part of today’s world. People are always rushing to get things done, whether it is a project deadline or just keeping up with the pace of life. These time constraints are usually related to external influences in our lives – work, school, traffic, family, friends and/or life in general. All these factors create drama in life and lead to stress; however, some people have higher levels of stress than others. Stress is not healthy; in fact, it has been proven to cause serious health problems such as heart disease, high blood pressure, depression and even death. Sometimes, people just need to get away from the stresses of life, do something different and just RELAX!!! This may involve taking a day off from work or the stressor in life, going to the beach or some other place, getting a massage, or anything else to escape the stressor. What many people do not realize is there is something usually not far away that c an relieve stress – nature. For many people nature is the number one way to relieve stress. There are numerous videos, cassette tapes and CD’s on the market that show nature scenes and/or play nature sounds. One might ask why. Well, the answer is that nature tends to be peaceful, calm and relaxing. It is a place where someone can get away from the madness of a busy life. There are many companies and individuals trying to sell all kinds of things to get people to relax and â€Å"de-stress† their lives. In addition to the videos, tapes and CD’s, there is an abundance of marketing strategies to relieve stress including: counseling, exercise or health clubs, pills, massage therapists and health spas. All this â€Å"stuff† can becom... ...ess, which in itself, may create more stress from the financial burden. Nature is basically free – all one has to do is get there. For most people, it is right in their back yards, and they may not even be aware that it is so close. Many large cities are creating greenways and natural areas with trails so that people can escape the hectic rush of city life and get back to nature. This is also a positive way of helping with pollution by having more trees to provide oxygen. You can just sit and relax, let your senses soak up nature, or take the verbal approach and scream out your stress. Whatever you choose to do, don’t bash nature as a way to relieve stress until you try it. Ultimately, stress is harmful and can have long-lasting physical and emotional effects on a person. Just do it - believe it or not, nature may be the one thing that can relieve stress.