Karachi:
Have you ever noticed how a ten -minute walk in nature solves a lot of problems circling around in your head? This is not a coincidence, it is supported by science.
“Disconnecting with nature increases the levels of stress, and in the long term it can be one of the causes of anxiety and depression,” said Dua Batool Khan, an associate clinical psychologist while talking to Express Pakinomist.
In the last few years, the increase in artificial intelligence and digital technology has accelerated this separation. Where previous generations spent several of their lives outdoors, direct experience is increasingly replaced by screens and simulations. Researchers at the University of Derby have documented a fall of 60% in human connection with nature since the 1800s, a fall they call “extinction of experience.” The study asked the reduced use of nature -related words in books, shrinking exposure to wild flora and fauna and fewer outdoor habits that were transferred from parents to children.
The consequences are visible. Research shows that time outside lowers cortisol, improves sleep and mood, strengthens cognition and increases the creativity of children. Even something as simple as morning sunlight is critical for regulating hormones and maintaining healthy sleep -wake cycles.
“Living in this world today, where we are constantly thinking and living for our future, nature gives you a way of slowing down and living at the moment, helping to ease anxiety and fear,” Dua said.
For younger people, the effects do not go unnoticed. “Sometimes I have to force myself to put my phone away and go out to get a breath of fresh air,” said S-, 17. “I want to sit in the grass with my cat purring in my lap just solves me.”
Studies suggest that such effects are not isolated. A perennial British study of social prescription found that patients referred to doctors for activities such as gardening or hiking reported lower anxiety and greater happiness and pointed to the outdoors as a tool for public health.
Researchers warn that the fall has wider costs. The weakened bond with the natural world also reduces people’s sense of responsibility for ecosystems and environmental challenges such as climate change. “Gardening, walking on a beach, associating with animals and other techniques such as guided images and meditation uses nature as an anchor for imagination,” Dua said.
The distance between people and nature has grown significantly. The challenge now is whether conscious measures can repair this tape in a fast digitizing world.
