A DOSE OF NATURE

By Mariviene Katrice Tagle

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS
TITLE PAGE NUMBER
Chapter I. Introduction 2
Background 2
Statement of the Problem 5
Research Objectives 6
Theoretical Framework 6
Scope and Limitations 7
Chapter II. Review of Related Literature 8
Effectiveness and Benefits of
8
Nature Therapy
How Much is a Dose of Nature 21
Nature Deficit Disorder 24
Shinrin-Yoku 26
Chapter III. Methodology 32
Gantt Schedule 33
Survey Questions 34
Chapter IV. Results and Discussion 37
Chapter V. 43
Project Description 43
Rationale 43
Project Objectives 44
Technical Components 44
Target Audience/User 44
Target Beneficiary 45
Target Market 45
Bibliography 46
Appendix 51

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 CHAPTER I.

INTRODUCTION

1. BACKGROUND

There are a lot of different activities in our world now that we can participate

in order to relieve stress or ease the symptoms of mental illnesses like depression,

anxiety or ADHD. Some people smoke, some of them drink alcoholic drinks, while

others do retail therapy or massage therapy, and some of us go to experts to consult

about the things that we feel in our brain and our bodies. These experts will

sometimes recommend to get a therapist or to drink some medication but recently,

within the last three years, doctors have started to prescribe a dose of nature to

their patients. Nature therapy, according to Howard Cinebell, who wrote a book

about the topic in 1996, is healing and growth nurtured by health interaction with the

earth.

Robert Steven wrote an article on the New Mexico School of Natural

Therapeutics website saying that the use of nature as a healing practice has started

even back when the primitives dominated the world. The primitives watched how the

wild animals healed themselves, which in turn led to the discovery of the nature cure,

and for thousands of years, this nature cure is the only healing method available to

humanity. Even with all the medical advances the world has gone through, it was

only until recently in the digital age when humanity found that we should seek refuge

in natural environments if we wanted to restore our bodies and our minds.

In an article by Jean Larson PhD, CTRS, HTR, and Mary Jo Kreitzer RN, PhD,

they stated that our environments have a great influence on the way we think and it

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also has a great impact on our mental well-being. Adam Atler said that in an urban

environment, we are forced to focus on a variety of specific things at the same time

so that we can make sure we dont get hit by a car or violate traffic rules and such,

which takes up a lot of brain power and in turn uses up most of our energy. But in

natural environments, people dont have to focus on everything at once, we can

choose what to focus on besides where were going, nature also soothes the mind

through the different human senses, from the odors of the wood to the sound of the

waterfalls, overall, a natural environment benefits us greatly.

Knowing that nature can affect our mental well-being which prompted them to

conduct a research on it. According to their findings, nature is a great asset when it

comes to relaxing the mind and restoring the body. Some therapists and

psychologists have also prescribed their patients with mental disorders, especially

those with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), to take a walk in a park

or a nature reserve for 5 minutes every day, whenever these patients came back to

their therapist or psychologist, these experts usually report some positive feedback

saying that their patients are able to focus better and that they have more brain

capacity to solve puzzles. The dose of nature that these experts prescribed are able

to effectively ease the symptoms of the mental disorder the patient has.

Susan Scutti wrote in her article that doctors around the world are, recently,

starting to adopt this new type of therapy called Nature Therapy, also known as eco-

therapy or green therapy or earth-centered therapy. They prescribe a dose of nature

to almost anyone because not only will it help our mental well-being but it can also

help our physical help by lowering the blood pressure, lowering the levels of cortisol,

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more heart rate variability, and it can also slowly restore the energy level. They claim

that adding a dose of nature in our routine can greatly impact our overall health,

even five minutes of walking in the park or tending your garden or even participating

in green exercise can help a persons well-being. But for those that do not have

enough time or energy to spend time in nature, research says that even viewing

photographs of nature or looking through a window to nature can help improve our

mood. Other researchers that focused on how nature therapy helps people with

ADHD said that nature therapy can rival the medication that they are prescribing, if

only they could determine how much dose of nature each person needs.

A Natural Environment or a Green Space is land that is partly or completely

covered with grass, trees, shrubs, or other vegetation. Green space includes parks,

community gardens, and cemeteries. The natural environment covers all living and

non-living things occurring naturally on Earth.

Natural environments have some factors that help us heal our mental well-

being. There are forests that give off some key aromatic compounds that have the

ability to reduce our stress hormones and boost our immune system. For example,

many trees give off organic compounds, such as Phytoncide, that support our NK

(natural killer) cells. Natural environments also calls our involuntary attention, which

is when our mind is drawn to something interesting that does not require intense

focus. Our involuntary attention helps us reduce stress because humans have a

finite capacity for sustained concentration.

There was a conducted research, by Jesper Alvarsson, Stefan Weins, and

Mats Nilsson, on how nature sounds helps individuals reduce stress, and they found

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out that recovery from sympathetic arousal is affected by type of sound and recovery

was faster with the nature sound. This could be relative to positive emotions

(pleasantness) evoked by nature sound as suggested by their previous research

using non audio film stimuli.

2. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

People around the world do not know that our mental health deteriorates the

lesser time we spend in nature. Along with urbanization, not only will our mental

health decline, we will also lose our only natural health resource if we are not able to

control it. Especially now, Jonathan Weiss wrote that young adults are the most

stressed out group according to a report published by the American Psychological

Association. According to their respondents, they mostly answered that work, money,

and job instability were their main concerns and adds a significant amount of stress

to their lives. Spending less time in natural environments and more time in

urban settings will, not only make us feel anxious, we may also develop

attention disorders and depression, according to the University of Illinois

research. According to Jean Larson and Mary Jo Kreitzer, urban settings are now

associated with stress and anxiety and natural environment is associated with

calmness and empathy. A lot of people that fall into the working class or college

student category are subjected to more stress because they are more immersed in

their work that they usually have little to no energy to relax themselves completely.

But with Nature Therapy, even just a five minute walk around nature or sitting under

a tree while reading a book, just simply immersing ourselves in nature can greatly

affect our mental health in a good way. Although this particular study has been done

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by a great deal of professional researchers and psychologists, this thesis paper will

be different in a sense on how the researcher plans to promote Nature Therapy and

also on how the researcher will go about to gain facts about the study. Nature

Therapy may be practiced now in other countries but it has not yet been integrated

here in the Philippines.

3. RESEARCH OBJECTIVES

This research aims:

To present nature therapy as an alternative way to heal our mental well-being

1. To define what Nature therapy is and how it can be integrated into the daily

routines of young adults in the Philippines

2. To introduce to students that are transitioning to the work force or people starting

out in the work for that Nature therapy is an alternative way to help our mental

well-being heal

3. To present the connection between natural environments and its psychological

effect on individuals

4. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

Nature Therapy is correlated to the Elaboration Likelihood Model.

Richard Petty and John Cacippio developed a theory in the mid-1970s that is

a dual-process theory on how attitudes change and form, which also explains the

different ways our brain processes stimuli. In this theory there are two basic routes

for persuasion. The central route involves message elaboration wherein the person

goes over the situation carefully and considers issue-relevant arguments in a

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persuasive communication, while the peripheral route is where the brain processes

information without an active thinking about the issue. Since we can only focus on a

few ideas at a time, we tend to focus on issues that are personally relevant, and we

send these personally relevant issues down the central route. With this theory, the

researcher intends to bring a persons mental health to the central route by making

the target audience realize that it is more relevant so that they would focus more on

this issue and be more open to the idea of Nature Therapy.

5. SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS

The researcher intends to include the following sub-topics in relation to the

study on Nature Therapy: 1.) Health Benefits of Nature Therapy, 2.) How nature

affects our minds, 3.) How nature therapy can be applicable to the daily lives of

young adults especially college students that are transitioning into the work force. In

this research, the proponent merely focuses on how nature therapy can benefit our

mental health. Since young adults are the most stressed generation, according to

the American Psychological Association, the proponent would like to tackle how

nature therapy can be integrated into the daily lives of young adults. People can be a

little blind when it comes to their personal health, especially when they are stressing

over work or studies, thats why the proponent chose to include these three sub-

topics so as to easily define and integrate the practice of Nature Therapy into our

daily lives.

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 CHAPTER II.

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

INTRODUCTION:

In this chapter, there are a variety of different studies and interviews with

different doctors and therapists with different specialties that are able to explain to

other people how nature therapy works and what we can benefit from it. There are

four different categories in this chapter with a common subject which is nature

therapy. These categories explore the different aspects of nature therapy, from

effectiveness and benefits to quantifying the dose of nature a person needs to an

ailment a lot of people may have called the nature-deficit disorder to a Japanese

practice called the Shinrin-yoku.

A. EFFECTIVENESS AND BENEFITS OF NATURE THERAPY

1. Do You Need a Nature Prescription? By Carol Sorgen

Sorgen, Carol. "Do You Need a Nature Prescription?" WebMD. WebMD, n.d.
Web. 14 Sept. 2015. <http://www.webmd.com/balance/features/nature-
therapy-ecotherapy>.
People who usually find it hard to deal with mental disorders usually go

to doctors, therapists or psychologists when they have the time and the

energy to do so. When they do, doctors would prescribe nature therapy and

they find this effective in improving the mental health of their patients. Many

health care researchers and practitioners say that ecotherapy can have

regenerative powers, improving mood and easing anxiety, stress and

depression, writes Carol Sorgen on her article on WebMD. Other Health

Care providers find that ecotherapy (or nature therapy) can help treat different

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 medical conditions such as obesity, high-blood pressure, diabetes and post-

cancer fatigue. The University of Essex in the U.K. made a study in 2007 and

found that being in nature decreases depression by 71% of their participants.

They also found that as little as five minutes in nature can help improve mood,

self-esteem and get motivation. Nature therapy can also help ease Seasonal

Affective Disorder (SAD). Stacy Bosch, a school nurse in Nevada, U.S.A, saw

that many students that are overweight or have Type 2 diabetes are kids that

spend little time outside. When she prescribed an entire family to go take a

walk on one of Americas nature areas, she received positive feedback saying

that they were excited to do something that would benefit all of them. Being

outside not only improves physical health but offers mental clarity as well.

Knowing that researches and scientists have learned that nature can

really help people mentally, this project would be more credible and

trustworthy for its target market.

This information from the article can help the project become more

reliable and the proponent plans on using it by telling their target market that

experts have been prescribing nature therapy to their patients and that it is

effective when it comes to improving mental health and it is also a concrete

and positive way to get more physical activity.

2. Prescribing a Dose of Nature by Elizabeth Nisbet and Melissa Lem

Nisbet, Elizabeth, and Melissa Lem. "Prescribing a Dose of Nature." AJ
Canada's Environmental Voice. N.p., Apr. 2015. Web. 14 Sept. 2015.
<http://www.alternativesjournal.ca/sustainable-living/prescribing-dose-
nature>.

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 Some people dont know that greenery can take away the blues, so

psychologist Elizabeth Nisbet and Dr. Melissa Lem explains in their article

how that works and they also give practical tips on reducing stress through

nature. In the world that we live in today, theres more concrete than green

spaces around us because of urbanization, this results to species extinction,

water pollution, deforestation, global climate change, and it lessens our

natural mental health resource. Japan, Korea and Finland found out that

natural and urban environments affect the human stress response differently

through several decades of research. They also found out that people that

spend more time in nature show benefits on different psychological indicators

such as the presence of anti-cancer proteins, levels of cortisol, heart rate

variability, and the natural killer-cell activity for immune functioning. But being

in nature helps improve mental health as well. Psychologist Elizabeth Nisbet

writes people suffering from clinical depression ruminate less and have more

positive emotions after walking through an arboretum than after walking in an

urban core. This also helps improve problem solving, concentration and

social cohesion. People who live in greener communities also interact more

with their neighbors and people there feel safer and better adjusted.

Research also indicates that the longer the time you spend in nature, the

larger the happiness boost you will get, a persons self-esteem and cognitive

function will also improve with more nature contact. Just by looking out a

window at nature can help lower stress but of course, exercise in nature still

has more positive effects. Andrea Faber Taylor and Frances E. Kuo from the

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 University of Illinois published a study in 2009 called the Journal of Attention

Disorders showing that attention-boosting effects of a 20-minute walk in the

park for children with ADHD rivalled those of prescription stimulant medication.

Dr. Melissa Lem tells the readers of their articles that removing barriers to

green space access is essential so that nature therapy can be an effective

motivational tool to help improve mental health.

These two doctors are experts on the psychological field and have

taken the time to show people how nature can help our well-being. With the

knowledge they have imparted through the Alternatives Journal website, the

proponent will be able to use the information from this website to tell the

target market more about how nature can help them and their children.

3. How Does Nature Impact Our Wellbeing? By Jean Larson, PhD, CTRS,
HTR; Mary Jo Kreitzer, RN, PhD
Larson, Jean, PhD, CTRS, HTR, and Mary Jo Kreitzer, RN, PhD. "How Does
Nature Impact Our Wellbeing?" Taking Charge of Your Health &
Wellbeing. University of Minnesota, n.d. Web. 14 Sept. 2015.
<http://www.takingcharge.csh.umn.edu/enhance-your-
wellbeing/environment/nature-and-us/how-does-nature-impact-our-
wellbeing>.
Our environment can affect the way we feel, which in turn affects our

bodies. An unpleasant environment would make a person feel sad, hopeless,

anxious, angry, and/or depressed, which leads to an increase in heart rate

and blood pressure, and their body suppresses the immune system; but a

pleasant environment reverses that. The things that we see, smell, and/or

experience not only affects our moods, but also our bodys different systems.

Regardless of age or culture, humans naturally find nature pleasing. Thats

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why in a research cited in a book called the Healing Gardens, two-thirds of

the people choose a natural setting to retreat to when things get too hard. In

this article they made four interesting points about the benefits of connecting

with nature. First, nature can heal us, in viewing scenes of nature or just a

putting a simple plant in a room has a significant impact on our emotions, it

reduces anger, fear, and stress, and it also contributes to our physical

wellbeing. Second, nature soothes us and helps us cope with pain. Since we

are genetically programmed to find natural elements mesmerizing, we get

distracted from our pain and discomfort. This point is proven by Robert Ulrich,

a physician who was conducting a study on patients undergoing gallbladder

surgery, found out that half of the patients that had a view of trees tolerated

the pain better and spent less time in the hospital compared to the patients

that had a view of a wall. Third, nature restores, in a study in Mind, 95% of

those interviewed said their mood improved after spending time outside,

changing from depressed, stressed and anxious to more calm and balanced.

Most studies show that being in nature promotes good mental health, positive

mood and liveliness, it also increases our attention span. Fourth, nature

connects, it connects us to each other and a larger world. The University of

Illinois conducted a study that shows that residents in Chicago that has more

trees and greenery around them were more concerned to help and support

each other, and has stronger feelings of unity and belonging. More green

spaces also reduces the risk of street crime and there was less violence and

aggression between domestic partners. They also have a better capacity to

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 cope with what life throws in their way. This point is further proven by a study

that used fMRI to measure brain activity wherein when people viewed scenes

of nature, the parts of the brain associated with empathy and love lit up, and

when they viewed urban scenes, it triggered the parts of the brain associated

with fear and anxiety. It is also pointed out in this article that too much time

spent in front of the TV or your computer or tablet or phone leads to loss of

empathy and lack of altruism.

People need to know that just the idea of an urban setting can trigger

fear and anxiety in us and that scenes of nature can help us feel love and

empathy. It can also help improve our well-being.

The proponent wants to convince people that to be able to relax more,

especially in the world that we live in today, nature therapy can help us

mentally more than our gadgets can.

4. Spending Time In Nature Makes People Feel More Alive, Study Shows
by University of Rochester
University of Rochester. "Spending Time in Nature Makes People Feel More
Alive, Study Shows." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 4 June 2010. Web.
15 Sept. 2015.
<http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/06/100603172219.htm>.
Lead author and a professor of Psychology at the University of

Rochester, Richard Ryan once said nature is fuel for the soul. Often when

we feel depleted we reach for a cup of coffee, but research suggests a better

way to get energized is to connect with nature. A great deal of studies have

found that exposure to nature increases energy and heightens the sense of

well-being of a person. Some research have shown that people that went on

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 wilderness excursions feel more alive and associate these activities with

happy memories and healthy living. Other studies suggest that nature helps

ward off exhaustion and that 90 percent of people have increased energy

when placed in outdoor activities. The University of Rochester created an

experiment putting 537 college students in actual and imagined environments.

After putting them one group in an urban area, and one group in a natural

environment and another group, who were asked to imagine themselves in a

variety of situations both active and inactive, inside and out, with and without

others, their moods and energy levels were tracked throughout the day using

diary entries. Over the course of the experiment, these students recorded

their exercise, social interactions, time spent outside, and exposure to natural

environments, including plants and windows. Across all methodologies, the

students that spent more time in natural settings or imagined themselves in

such situations consistently felt more energetic. By just being outside for at

least 20 minutes per day can significantly boost our vitality levels.

The experiment that the University of Rochester conducted is relevant

to the project since it makes the project more reliable.

Since people are more energetic when they are in natural

environments, the proponent would be able to promote nature therapy better

since people nowadays usually have little to no energy even before the end of

the day.

5. Naturopathy The Healing Power of Nature by Yam Dela Cruz

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Dela Cruz, Yam. "Naturopathy - The Healing Power of Nature." ABS-CBN
News. ABS-CBN News Salamat Dok, 15 Feb. 2011. Web. 15 Sept.
2015. <http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/current-affairs-
programs/02/14/11/salamat-dok-naturopathy-healing-power-nature>.
People are always fascinated when scientists are able to create a new

medical breakthrough because they like to find unconventional ways to cure

ailments. Even with all the proven and effective conventional medicine and

the wide use of western medicine, people still seek alternative healing options.

From acupuncture to therapeutic massages to medicinal plants to reflexology,

now people are directing their attention to naturopathy. Even those people

living with a terminal illness, they confirm the effectiveness of naturopathy.

People often forget that our body had a natural healing ability and they forget

to take care of it which leads to nutritional deficiency. If people dont give

attention to this illness, they tend to feel exhausted and their bodies

deteriorates until the body cant repair the damage. Naturopathy can help

cure that. There are testimonials from a Cirrhosis survivor, a Stage 3 Prostate

Cancer Survivor, and a Diabetic Breast Cancer survivor wherein theyre all

saying that engaging in naturopathy by eating fruits and vegetables made

them feel healthier, they feel youthful, and their body and sleep schedule

restored to the way they used to be before. Included in the article are things

to remember to make sure a person lives a healthy life through naturopathy.

Nature Therapy isnt just immersing oneself in nature, but it is also

minding what we eat and what we do. Naturopathy is relevant to the project

because it promotes a different kind of nature therapy that people can

incorporate in their daily routine.

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 The proponent can use this information especially when it comes to

promoting nature therapy because then the proponent can tell the audience

that there are different kinds of things that we can do to make sure we are

taking care of our mental and physical health.

6. Benefits of Ecotherapy: Being in Nature Fights Depression, Improve

Mental Health and Well-Being by Lecia Bushak
Bushak, Lecia. "Benefits Of Ecotherapy: Being In Nature Fights Depression,
Improves Mental Health." Medical Daily. N.p., 26 Oct. 2013. Web. 14
Sept. 2015. <http://www.medicaldaily.com/benefits-ecotherapy-being-
nature-fights-depression-improves-mental-health-and-well-being-
261075>.
Living in the digital age means that people are more interested in the

technology than their health and they might not know it. Richard Louv, an

American Author, says that these people suffer from nature deficit disorder.

A study investigated the benefits of being in nature and found out that it can

help prevent mental health disorders. It is also said that in another research in

2010, they were able to find out that people that spend at least 20 minutes

per day outside in nature boosted their energy levels, and they are more

resilient to physical illnesses. They also found out in a study that the

frequency of depression is lower in people who reside in rural areas

compared to those in urban areas in the U.S. A paper published in Urban

Geography proposed an urban-rural happiness gradient, which showed that

there are many benefits of big city-living but high levels of happiness are not

among them, writes Lecia Bushak.

There are more people in the world that live in urban area now than

before because of urbanization, and because of this the green spaces around

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 us are becoming smaller and smaller which could be very bad since thats our

natural health resource. Not only is urbanization taking over, technology is too

because some people would rather be on their gadgets than go outside which

causes them to develop several mental illnesses such as depression.

The proponent wants to promote a healthy mentality to other people by

telling them the information the proponent received from this article.

7. How Nature Resets Our Minds and Bodies by Adam Atler

Atler, Adam. "How Nature Resets Our Minds and Bodies." The Atlantic.
Atlantic Media Company, 29 Mar. 2013. Web. 14 Sept. 2015.
<http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/03/how-nature-resets-
our-minds-and-bodies/274455/>.
Did you know that a quiet street does not have the same effect as a

quiet natural landscape? In Adam Atlers article, he writes that natural

environments have a unique constellation of features that sets them apart

from man-made locations. He also explains how William James, one of the

early giants of psychology, explanation how the two forms of human attention

play a role in our natural mental health resource. The first form, directed

attention, enables us to focus on demanding tasks like driving or reading

which will take a lot out of us. The second form, involuntary attention, comes

easily and doesnt require mental effort at all. Thats why exposure to nature

greatly improves our mental health because it doesnt require that much

mental activity. Nature also restores mental operations the way food and

water refills our bodies. What man-made environments take away from us,

nature gives back, says Adam Atler. Attention Restoration Theory (ART) tells

us that urban environments are draining because it demands us to

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 dynamically focus on a variety of specific things, such as avoiding traffic,

which can completely tire us. These demands are absent in natural

environments though theyre still engaging and attention grabbing, natural

environments still require very little from us. The only difference is how they

command the attention of people. Adam Atler explains while man-made

landscapes bombard us with stimulation, their natural counterparts give us

the chance to think as much or as little as wed like and the opportunity to

replenish exhausted mental resources.

This article written by Adam Atler explains to us why urban areas

cause us more mental stress and how natural environments causes us

mental relief.

With this information, the proponent would be able to possibly convince

the audience that green spaces, even a simple plant in our office or bedroom,

can help revitalize our bodies and minds.

8. Health Benefits of Being Outside by Anna Sharratt

Sharratt, Anna. "Benefits of Nature: Why Spending Time outside Is
Important." Canadian Health Lifestyle. Canadian Health & Lifestyle, 13
June 2014. Web. 15 Sept. 2015.
<http://www.healthandlifestyle.ca/lifestyle/real-life/health-benefits-of-
being-outside/>.
Anna Sharratt says that nature is our ultimate utopia: it refreshes us,

inspires us, and even heals us. People around the world has their own way

to connect with nature, Dorothy Walsh, a self-confessed garden junkie, has

been escaping to grow vegetables, to weed and to enjoy a few moments

alone. To her it relaxes her even if it is a lot of work. She found out what

18
 British Lake poets knew very well: being close to nature, whether youre

camping under the stars or admiring flowers from you windowsill, nature can

boost your mood and leave you feeling more alert and less anxious. Dr. Shimi

Kang, a psychiatrist, prescribes people to get outside into nature everyday

because our brains release powerful neuro-chemicals similar to those you

may be trying to promote with medications.

It is also said in a study in 2010 that is published in the Journal of

Environmental Psychology that people who are more exposed to nature has a

greater change in vitality. Since there is an improvement in vitality, it may

translate into faster healing. A registered Horticultural Therapist, Ann Kent,

visits her clients outdoors or in hospitals, clinics, and health centers with her

nature kit. In it are soil and pots, simple flowers for arranging, or a sensory

tray with samples of leaves, flowers, seeds, and moss. Horticultural and

gardening activities support rehabilitation programs, says Kent. Someone

recovering from a stroke can be encouraged to hold a trowel and work with

soil to strengthen muscles in the hand and fingers. A simple flower can bring

a smile to the face and other plants can release a fragrant and relaxing scent.

A study by Kansas State researches found out that patients that are exposed

to nature require fewer pain medications.

9. Nature Therapy and ADHD

Nature Therapy and ADHD." HPHP Central Nature Therapy and ADHD
Comments. HPHP Central, 2015. Web. 14 Sept. 2015.
<http://www.hphpcentral.com/article/nature-therapy-and-adhd>.
Most children and adolescents nowadays are showing signs of ADHD

and it is not the best thing in the world to have but there are several ways to

19
 manage their symptoms, like a dose of nature. Having regular contact with

nature can improve the attention of children with ADHD and provide a boost

to conventional drug treatment and therapies, says Healthy Parks Healthy

People Central (HPHP Central). The Landscape and Human Health

Laboratory (LHHL) have conducted studies on children with ADHD that show

that nature has a calming, restorative effect on them, reducing their

symptoms. They also found out that the more time they spend in nature, the

more it improves their attention and impulse control. Children benefit in a

variety of ways from contact with nature.

This study benefits the project since it is a study on a more specific

audience. The proponent will be able to use this information to tell people how

nature can help with symptoms of ADHD.

10. The Benefits of Green Exercise by Dr. Jo Barton

Barton, Dr. Jo. "The Benefits of Green Exercise." HPHP Central The Benefits
of Green Exercise Comments. HPHP Central, Dec. 2010. Web. 14
Sept. 2015. <http://www.hphpcentral.com/article/the-benefits-of-green-
exercise>.
We live in the day and age wherein we are more aware of our health

now, we visit the gym or go jogging in the morning but some people prefer

green exercise like hiking or participating in physical activities in green spaces.

Green Exercise brings additional mental and physical health benefits to those

that practice it, and it can also be considered as an example of nature therapy.

The University of Essex in the U.K. has been researching on the different

types of nature therapies, activities, clients, motivations and needs, but all

have shown positive health and wellbeing benefits. Activities like walking,

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 cycling, horse-riding, fishing, swimming, spelunking, and so on, lead to

improvements in self-esteem and mood by reducing feelings of depression,

anger, fear and confusion. HPHP Central conducted a multi-study analysis on

changes in self-esteem and mood data pre- and post-green exercise to find

out if different natural habitats and levels of biodiversity has an effect on how

much dose of nature a person needs, and they found out that there are no

great differences for urban space, countryside and woodland habitats.

Although, green spaces with water had a bigger effect on the participants of

the study. In their study, it is also implied that the first five minutes of the

exercise has the biggest impact on improving self-esteem and mood.

HPHP Centrals research confirmed why people need at least five

minutes in nature. Their study also proved how green exercise or nature

therapy can help people with improving their mentality.

11. Location, location, location: How nature affects the way we make
decisions
"Location, Location, Location: How Nature Affects the Way We Make
Decisions." Phys.org. Phys.org, 7 Nov. 2013. Web. 14 Sept. 2015.
<http://phys.org/news/2013-11-nature-affects-decisions.html>.
It has already been established by numerous studies, researches and

articles that nature as an overall positive effect when it comes to our mental

and physical health. In this article, Phys.org is establishing that natural

environments also significantly impact the choices we make. People exposed

to natural environments are more inclined to make decisions that value their

longer-term futures more. In previous scientific studies, is it shown that

contact with nature also increases self-control and improves the way people

21
 value their future. The scientists from VU University Amsterdam conducted a

series of three experiments exposing volunteers to photos of natural

landscapes in Amsterdam, another group of volunteers were given

photographs of urban locations. Afterwards, the volunteers played temporal

discounting games where they asked to choose between small, immediate

cash rewards or larger but delayed rewards. The volunteers that were

exposed to nature chose the larger but delayed rewards while the volunteers

that were exposed to urban volunteers chose the immediate rewards. These

results suggest that people living in natural environments live slower,

simultaneously placing more value on the future, while those in urban

environments live faster, and might prefer immediate rewards.

Further research on how our location affects our mental health is

relevant to the project because the proponent aims to promote green spaces

as a natural health resource.

The proponent would be able to use this information to target a more

specific market.

12. The Power Of Nature: Ecotherapy and Awakening by Steve Taylor PhD
Taylor, Steve, PhD. "The Power of Nature: Ecotherapy and Awakening."
Psychology Today. Psychology Today, 28 Apr. 2012. Web. 15 Sept.
2015. <https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/out-the-
darkness/201204/the-power-nature-ecotherapy-and-awakening>.
We already know the effects that nature therapy has on the human

body and well-being. But do we know why? Steve Taylor PhD wrote that the

human race has a close bond with nature for all our existence. For us, being

in nature is like going back home and it fills us with the same sense of safety

22
 and belonging. Just like the way a child needs a mother, we get the same

feeling of comfort from it. But the main reason why nature can heal the human

body and well-being that Steve Taylor believes is that nature has a calming

and mind-quieting effect. Our minds process a lot less information than

normal when were exposed to nature and it acts like a form of meditation

which slows down the normal though-clutter which runs chaotically through

our minds. Which then brings us inner stillness and energy fills us. This

awakens our senses and intensifies our perceptions.

Having an idea of why nature affects us the way it does makes the

project a little more though-invoking and trustworthy.

The proponent can use this information to tell the audience that the

next time they feel depressed, anxious or frustrated, instead of retail therapy

and medications, they should try nature therapy instead.

B. HOW MUCH IS A DOSE OF NATURE

13. How To Stay Healthy In The City: Take 2 Doses of Nature, Call The
Doctor In The Morning by Susan Scutti
Scutti, Susan. "How To Stay Healthy In The City: Take 2 Doses of Nature,
Call The Doctor In The Morning." Medical Daily. Medical Daily, 8 Apr.
2015. Web. 15 Sept. 2015. <http://www.medicaldaily.com/how-stay-
healthy-city-take-2-doses-nature-call-doctor-morning-328454>.
Since doctors around the world are starting to prescribe a dose of

nature, researchers have been studying how much a dose of nature actually

is and if it can be quantified based on quality, quantity, frequency and

duration of exposure so that doctors can prescribe a dose of nature just like

prescribing a drug. Since continued urbanization will lessen the exposure of

23
 people to nature, this will present more health risks. So a group of biologists

and public health experts are trying to develop a precise knowledge of how

nature affects the health. Researchers found that exposure to nature can be

relative to exposure to physical activity by adapting the three main

components, intensity, frequency and duration, to the elements of nature;

then researchers would look at the intensity of exposure to nature, the

frequency of exposure and the duration of exposure of the people.

Since a dose of nature has a possibility to be measured by quantity

and quality, the proponent will be able to help people understand what a dose

of nature is, and if they do need it, how much dose of nature they need.

14. Could a Dose Of Nature Be Just What the Doctor Ordered?

"Could a Dose of Nature Be Just What the Doctor Ordered?" EurekAlert!
American Institute of Biological Sciences, 8 Apr. 2015. Web. 14 Sept.
2015. <http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2015-04/aiob-
cad040315.php>.
We have found out that a dose of nature can really help improve our

mental health but little is known about how much we really need. Danielle F.

Shanahan along with a group of biologists and public experts addressed this

knowledge gap by examining nature through the lens of medical thinking.

They studied exposure to the outdoors the same way they would study a

medicine, through dose-response modeling. They also studied the variety of

ways people are exposed to nature, from forest excursions to viewing nature

from an office window, and the different effects of exposure require careful

study. Although nature, overall, has a positive effect on the human health,

increasing crowding and complexity of greenery in cities could possibly

24
 decrease a persons feeling of safety and increase stress, say Shanahan

and her colleagues.

15. What Dose of Nature Do We Need to Feel Better by Jared Green

Green, Jared. "What Dose of Nature Do We Need to Feel Better?" The
Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 25 June 2015. Web. 15 Sept.
2015. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jared-green/what-dose-of-
nature-do-we-need-to-feel-better-_b_7653620.html>.
Jared Green is well aware that there are health benefits when it comes

to spending time in nature due to the boom in studies demonstrating this.

Even simply viewing nature has its benefits too. MaryCarol Hunter, a

landscape architect and ecologist at the University of Michigan, held a talk at

the Environmental Design Research Association (EDRA) conference in Los

Angeles describing her efforts to create the guidelines for landscape design

that can lead to the greatest impact. They aim to know precisely how to

prescribe a nature pill so they Hunter and her team examined a group of 44

people over 8 weeks asking them to immerse themselves in urban natural

environments at least 2.5 times per week for a minimum of 10 minutes. With a

custom-design smartphone app, these people walked and sat in nature and

then answered questions about their mental health, before and after being

exposed in nature. They were also asked to record the scenery and the types

of landscapes and their preferred views, they also recorded their thought on

the app which was also tracking their location. The results that Hunter and her

team got show that the nature pill works. The participants exhibit

significantly less stress, an increase in the ability to focus and increased

satisfaction with their mood and energy levels after being immersed to nature.

25
 Hunter also studied the participants levels of cortisol, a physical indicator of

stress, and found that it correlated with the reports of the participants more

than 60% of the time. Although it might be too soon to tell what the optimal

dose of the nature pill is, but even just 10 minutes is effective, Hunter says.

Included in the article are brief summaries of other health and nature studies

at the EDRA.

With this scientific information provided by MaryCarol Hunter and her

team, the project will be able to find a scientific way to look at how nature

therapy can work.

C. NATURE DEFICIT DISORDER

16. Nature-Deficit Disorder

"Nature-Deficit Disorder." Children Nature Network. Children & Nature
Network, n.d. Web. 15 Sept. 2015.
<https://www.childrenandnature.org/about/nature-deficit-disorder/>.
This term was coined by author, Richar Louv, to describe the human

costs of alienation from nature. Reasearch has been showing that evidence

suggests that nature-deficit disorder contributes to a lessened use of the

senses, shorter attention span, obesity, and higher rates of emotional and

mental illnesses. These problems are what health care experts would like to

call as epidemic of inactivity. Most studies show, not the loss when nature

fades, but what we gain from nature when we are in contact with it. Groups

are being organized to promote nature therapy to reverse the effects of

nature deficit disorder and to promote a healthy mental well-being.

26
 Since the term are also being used by experts to describe why

illnesses are developing in the human body, the proponent would be able to

warn the audience what could happen if they are caught up in the epidemic

of inactivity.

17. Children: Nature Deficit Disorder by the American Society of Landscape

Architects
"Children: Nature Deficit Disorder | Asla.org." Children: Nature Deficit
Disorder | Asla.org. American Society of Landscape Architects, n.d.
Web. 15 Sept. 2015.
<http://www.asla.org/ContentDetail.aspx?id=39558>.
Nature Deficit Disorder is a phrase coined by author, Richard Louv that

says that children are increasingly disconnecting from their natural

environment and they are spending more time inside. Getting them to play

outside in a natural environment increases their attention span, creative

thought and they would have a bigger desire to explore. It can also serve as

therapy for troubled kids. Since a lot of doctors are prescribing nature therapy

to teens and adolescents to help cope with their mental disorders, there are

programs that are organizing group expeditions wherein they go into the

wilderness to camp and engage in survival tasks. As a result, a study found

out that this expeditions was an effective treatment for teens suffering from

different behavioral problems like attention deficit disorder (ADD), depression,

and alcohol and drug addiction. They also showed higher level of confidence,

better organizational and leadership skills.

18. Nature Deficit Disorder Might Be Made Up, But The Health Benefits of
Being Outside Are Real by Lindsay Holmes
Holmes, Lindsay. "'Nature Deficit Disorder' Might Be Made Up, But The
Health Benefits Of Being Outside Are Real." The Huffington Post.
TheHuffingtonPost.com, 11 Dec. 2014. Web. 15 Sept. 2015.

27
 <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/12/11/benefits-of-outdoors-
jame_n_6310672.html>.
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) usually occurs during the winter

season and it is also a special kind of disorder since it always happens

around the same time each year. SAD is a depression-related condition that

researchers believe may stem from the lack of time outside and sun

exposure during the seasons short days, writes Lindsay Holmes. But it isnt

the only illness that is related to our lack of connection with the outdoors. In

this article there is a video showing the health benefits of going outside

where in The Atlantics James Hamblin, M.D., shares with us how the natural

environment can be a form of emotional healing. There he interviews two

ecotherapists, Phoenix Smith and Ariana Candell, that both talked about

Nature Deficit Disorder and the benefits of going outside. While the term

Nature Deficit Disorder isnt a psychological diagnosis, a lot of researches

show that nature can have a positive effect on our lives. "Being in nature is

therapeutic, but ecotherapy tends to be more with some kind of professional

that is supporting another person to actually deal with something that's going

on for them that's challenging," Candell explained in the video. Going outside

not only helps improve our mental health but it can also spike those Vitamin

D levels which is a necessary nutrient in fighting conditions like SAD.

D. SHINRIN-YOKU

19. Shinrin-Yoku
"Shinrin-Yoku Forest Medicine." Shinrin-yoku: The Medicine of Being in the
Forest. Shinrin-yoku.org, n.d. Web. 15 Sept. 2015.
<http://www.shinrin-yoku.org/shinrin-yoku.html>.

28
 Shinrin-Yoku is a Japanese term that means forest-bathing. It was

developed during the 1980s and has become a foundation of preventive

health care and healing in Japanese medicine. The idea is simple: if a

person visits a natural area and walks in a relaxed way there are calming,

rejuvenating and restorative benefits to be achieved, says the Shinrin-Yoku

organization on their website. There are already a lot of scientific research

regarding this idea demonstrating how being in the wild and natural areas

have healing effects, for example, many trees produce and give off organic

compounds that support our NK (natural killer) cells that are part of our

immune system. There are also scientifically-proven benefits of Shinrin-yoku

including boosted immune system functioning, reduced blood pressure,

reduced stress, improved mood, increased ability to focus, accelerated

recovery from surgery or illness, increased energy level and improved sleep.

Shinrin-yoku is a form deeper form of nature therapy that combines leisurely

walks in gentle paths under forest canopy which lets a person experience the

forest. People who are participating in this are getting a deeper connection to

nature which opens their senses and hones their intuition. Shinrin-yoku is a

gentle path to wellness.

20. Your Brain on Nature: Forest Bathing and Reduced Stress by Eva
Selhub and Allan Logan
Selhub, Eva, and Allan Logan. "Your Brain on Nature: Forest Bathing and
Reduced Stress." Mother Earth News: The Original Guide To Living
Wisely. Mother Earth News, 8 Jan. 2013. Web. 15 Sept. 2015.
<http://www.motherearthnews.com/natural-health/herbal-
remedies/forest-bathing-ze0z1301zgar.aspx>.

29
 A lot of medical doctors tell their patients to go out into nature so that

their minds could be renewed especially if it is worn down by mental labor. In

1982, the Forest Agency of the Japanese Government debuted its shinrin-

yoku plan, which is taking in all the forest atmosphere. The program was

established to encourage the populace to get out into nature, to literally

bathe the mind and body in greenspace, and take advantage of public owned

forest networks as a means of promoting health, explains Eva Selhub and

Allan Logan. It was originally a brief stint, a marketing term coined by Mr.

Tomohide Akiyama in 1982, the initial plan for shinrin-yoku was based solely

on the perception that spending time in nature, particularly on Japanese

forest trails, would do the mind and body good. This changed when Dr.

Yoshufumi Miyazaki conducted a small study in the forests of Yakushima,

since it is the home to Japans most heralded forests, in 1990. They found

out in the study that 40 minutes of walking in a forest is associated with

improved mood and feelings of vigor. He found out that there were lower

levels of cortisol in subjects after taking forest walks compared with those

who took laboratory walks, which could be a sign that a walk in the forest

may be different from a walk in a different environmental setting.

Some people are not that excited to hear that taking a walk in the park

can help us because it may sound boring. With this knowledge, the

proponent would be able to tell the audience that nature therapy can be as

exciting as taking a walk in a forest.

30
CONCLUSION:

There already are a lot of research studies regarding nature therapy but a lot

of people do not practice it because sometimes they do not have the time or the

energy to do so. But exposure to nature for as little as 5 minutes per day can

significantly improve our mental health. It also significantly reduces the risk of a

variety of illnesses such as depression, seasonal affective disorder, diabetes, cancer,

anxiety, and it also improves our senses, our concentration and attention, our

memory, and restores our body clock back to normal. Nature can help us in different

ways, even peeking from our window to a view of nature or a simple flower or plant

on our desk or around our room can have a significant impact on us. We should

practice nature therapy more so not only because it helps with our mental health but

also because it gives us a sense of comfort and buffers us from the hectic and

stressful everyday life in the city.

31
 CHAPTER III.

METHODOLOGY

The researcher was supposed to conduct a survey on 100 college students

that are transitioning into the work force but instead conducted a survey on 81

respondents that are fresh college graduates, whether they are employed or not,

and graduating college students. These respondents are people within the age

bracket of 18-25, because based on research from Jonathan Weiss article, people

within this age bracket are more vulnerable to stress because they are worried for

their financial and job stability, and these people will come from Private Schools in

Metro Manila. The participants will mostly consist of College students, Fresh

Graduates or the Working Class. There is no specific career or field required to

become a participant. These participants mostly came from urban areas in the

Philippines (e.g. Metro Manila, Quezon City, Cavite, and Las Pias) because the

researcher wants to see if Nature Therapy will be more effective if the participants

are used to urban environments. The survey was be conducted online, with the use

of Google Docs, since the respondents are easily reachable there.

The researcher planned on conducting an interview with a Psychologist that is

based in the Philippines and has been active in the field of Psychology within the

past 5 years but because of the time constraints, they was not able to do so.

Since the survey was conducted online, the researcher only needed a laptop

and access to the internet for that. The researcher already owns the laptop and the

internet access used during the research.

32
 Before the actual survey, the researcher conducted a pretest with a group of

five (5) people for the survey. Testing the questions and the methods the researcher

will use for the actual data-gathering helped the researcher to refine the questions

and methods to get a more accurate result before conducting them on the actual

participants. Through this pre-test, the researcher was able to find out if the survey

was understandable enough for the respondents to answer without further questions

to the researcher.

During the survey, the researcher asked the opinions and knowledge of the

respondents to find out if they think that Nature Therapy will be accepted in the

Philippines as a conventional way to relieve stress and heal our mental well-being.

The researcher defined what Nature Therapy is so as to help those who do not know

what it is while simultaneously introducing them to the idea. The researcher also

found out if the participants have any knowledge about Nature Therapy and what

their take is on that particular topic.

This research will become a mix of qualitative and quantitative data based on

the questionnaires that the researcher will release and the answers the participants

and interviewee will give during the data gathering period.

Gantt Schedule of Data Gathering

ID Task Name Week 1 Week 2

1 Formulating Questions

2 Pre-Test

3 Conduct Survey

33
 4 Collate Survey Results

5 Analyze data

During the first week of data gathering, the researcher formulated questions

that are used in the survey questionnaire. The researcher also conducted a pre-test

with the five (5) survey respondents to know if the actual participants will understand

them. After these, the researcher will release the survey online with the use of

Google Docs.

On the second week of data-gathering, the researcher analyzes the data and

incorporated it to the thesis study the researcher is creating.

Survey Questions

1. Age

a. 18 20 years old c. 23 25 years old

b. 20 22 years old

2. Sex

a. Male

b. Female

3. Occupation

a. Undergraduate Student d. Employed (full-time)

b. Graduating Student e. Other

c. Employed (part-time)

4. Place of Residence

5. How do you relieve stress?

34
 a. Get a massage e. Read a book

b. Play video games f. Drink alcoholic drinks

c. Take a walk g. Smoke

d. Exercise h. Other

6. Have you heard about Nature Therapy?

a. Yes

b. No

7. If yes, where have you heard about Nature Therapy?

a. Family d. Magazine

b. Friends e. TV

c. Online f. Other

8. What kind of activities would you be willing to do while immersing

yourself in nature?

a. Go to a park d. Hiking

b. Exercise in a natural e. Gardening

environment f. Other

c. Camping

9. If you have done any of these activities, on a scale of 1 to 5, how did you

feel during the activity?

a. 1 2 3 4 5

b. Relaxed Stressed/Anxious
10. Imagine you're in a city, there are a lot of people and buildings around

you and you are in the middle of traffic. On a scale of 1 to 5, how do you

feel?

a. 1 2 3 4 5

b. Relaxed Stressed/Anxious

11. Imagine you're in a park, there are trees around you and you hear the

birds chirping and the leaves crunching under your feet. On a scale of 1

to 5, how do you feel?

a. 1 2 3 4 5

b. Relaxed Stressed/Anxious

12. On a scale of 1 to 5, would you rather be in a natural environment or an

urban environment?

a. 1 2 3 4 5

b. Relaxed Stressed/Anxious

13. Would you consider integrating nature therapy into your daily routine?

Why or why not?

36
 CHAPTER IV.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

According to the survey distributed online:

Refer to Figure 1 in the Appendix. 58% of the respondents fall within the

18 to 20 year old age bracket, 30.9% of the respondents fall within the 21 to 23

year old age bracket and 11.1% of the respondents fall within the 23 to 25 year

old age bracket.

Refer to Figure 2 in the Appendix. 59.3% of the respondents are female

and 40.7% of the respondents are male.

Refer to Figure 3 in the Appendix. 36.3% of the respondents are

undergraduate students, 28.8% of the respondents are graduating students, 20%

of the respondents are employed full-time, 11.3% of the respondents have other

occupations (e.g. Med School, unemployed), and 3.8% of the respondents are

employed part-time.

Refer to Figure 4 in the Appendix. 59.3% of the respondents do other

activities (e.g. sleep, eat, listen to music, other) to relieve stress, 44.4% of the

respondents take a walk to relieve stress, 42% of the respondents play video

games to relieve stress, 37% of the respondents read a book to relieve stress,

32.1% of the respondents exercise to relieve stress, 29.6% of the respondents

gets a massage to relieve stress and 12.3% of the respondents smoke, and

12.3% of the respondents drink alcoholic drinks to relieve stress.

37
 Refer to Figure 5 in the Appendix. 66.7% of the respondents have not

heard about nature therapy before the survey, and 33.3% of the respondents

have heard of nature therapy before the survey.

Refer to Figure 6 in the Appendix. 58.60% of the respondents that have

heard of nature therapy (refer to figure 5 in the appendix) have learned about it

online, 24.10% of the respondents that have heard of nature therapy have

learned about it through the television, 24.10% of the respondents that have

heard about nature therapy have learned about it through their friends, 20.70% of

the respondents that have heard about nature therapy have learned about it

through other sources, 17.20% of the respondents that have heard about nature

therapy have learned about it through a magazine, 13.80% of the respondents

that have heard about nature therapy have learned about it through their family

and 10.30% of the respondents that have heard about nature therapy have

learned about it through a therapist or a psychologist.

Refer to Figure 7 in the Appendix. 74.1% of the respondents would like to

go to a park while immersing themselves in nature, 60.5% of the respondents

would like to camping while immersing themselves in nature, 59.3% of the

respondents would like to go hiking while immersing themselves in nature, 43.2%

of the respondents would like to exercise at a natural environment, 29.6% of the

respondents would like to go gardening while immersing themselves in nature,

and 12.3% of the respondents would like to do other activities (e.g. exploring a

cave, sleeping) while immersing themselves in nature.

38
 Refer to Figure 8 in the Appendix. 40% of the respondents felt somewhat

relaxed when they participate in activities in the previous question (refer to figure

7 in the appendix) while immersing themselves in nature, 33.3% of the

respondents felt wholly relaxed when they participate in activities in the previous

question (refer to figure 7 in the appendix) while immersing themselves in nature,

14.7% of the respondents felt neutral when they participate in activities in the

previous question (refer to figure 7 in the appendix) while immersing themselves

in nature while 9.3% of the respondents felt somewhat anxious/stressed when

they participate in activities in the previous question (refer to figure 7 in the

appendix) while immersing themselves in nature, and 2.7% of the respondents

felt wholly anxious/stressed when they participate in activities in the previous

question (refer to figure 7 in the appendix) while immersing themselves in nature.

Refer to Figure 9 in the Appendix. 38.3% of the respondents felt wholly

anxious/stressed when they imagined themselves in an urban setting, 35.8% of

the respondents felt somewhat anxious/stressed when they imagined themselves

in an urban setting, 19.8% of the respondents felt neutral when they imagined

themselves in an urban setting while 3.7% felt wholly relaxed when they

imagined themselves in an urban setting, and 2.5% of the respondents felt

somewhat relaxed when they imagined themselves in an urban setting.

Refer to Figure 10 in the Appendix. 50.6% of the respondents felt wholly

relaxed when they imagined themselves in a natural setting, 34.6% of the

respondents felt somewhat relaxed when they imagined themselves in a natural

setting, 4.9% of the respondents felt neutral when they imagined themselves in a

39
natural setting while 4.9% of the respondents felt somewhat anxious/stressed

when they imagined themselves in a natural setting, and the remaining 4.9% of

the respondents felt wholly anxious/stressed when they imagined themselves in

a natural setting.

Refer to Figure 11 in the Appendix. 44.4% of the respondents would be

okay whether they are in an urban environment or a natural environment, 28.4%

of the respondents would somewhat rather be in a natural environment, 22.2% of

the respondents would rather be in a natural environment than an urban

environment while 2.5% of the respondents would somewhat rather be in an

urban environment, and another 2.5% of the respondents would rather be in an

urban environment than a natural environment.

The researcher then asked the respondents if they would consider

integrating nature therapy in their daily routines, and these are generally what

most of them answered:

Answer 1: yes because seeing green around you helps you to see more clearly

and not just our own health but also the health of our mother earth.

Answer 2: Maybe, as much as I'd love to add it in my schedule I'm afraid I'm

being to suffocated by my responsibilities and other stress causing factors

in the environment I live in.

Answer 3: Yes!! I feel disconnecting from technology and all the hectic work from

time to time would be great and the best way to do so is to reconnect with

nature!

40
Answer 4: Probably not due to the lack of nature in the area I am currently

residing, but if it wasn't then I totally would

Answer 5: Yes, if there will be an extra time. Because I know it will help me to

improve my health, especially on how I see my surroundings. It will help

me to handle stress easily if I will consider Nature Therapy in my daily routine

Answer 6: Yes. It gives a fresher perspective to start my day

Answer 7: Yes, because a good walk in the park, for example, could probably

help clear my head from stress and worries.

Most of the respondents are willing to integrate nature therapy into their

daily routine but there are definitely some that were not willing to do so because,

as most of those that disagreed answered, it may be expensive, a hassle to get

to, or it gets a bit dull as time goes on. Nevertheless, the survey received an

overwhelming positive response to this last question.

On the first answer, the respondent said that it helps people to see more

clearly and, based on research, it is true. It doesnt exactly improve our eyesight

but improves our ability to focus on concentrate according to a research by Jean

Larson and Mary Jo Krietzer.

On the second answer, the respondent felt suffocated by their

responsibilities and the environment they lived in, this could probably because,

according to the Attention Restoration Theory, they had to direct their focus on a

lot of different things that it taxes on their energy and increases the stress that

they feel.

41
 On the third answer, the respondent said that it is the best way to

reconnect with nature, and that is a good thing because people may not realize it

but we have an innate connection with nature and we find it naturally pleasing

according to an article written by Jean Larson and Mary Jo Krietzer.

On the fourth answer, the respondent expressed that there is a lack of

nature in the area they reside in and this is probably due to urbanization. This

takes a toll on us because urbanization reduces our natural health resource and

increases our stress and the possibility of other mental issues, according to the

Attention Restoration Theory.

On the fifth answer, the respondent stated that nature therapy will improve

their health and the way they see their surroundings and that it will also help

them handle their stress easily. Many health care researchers and practitioners

also claimed that nature therapy improves our mood and eases our stress. This

is also applicable to the sixth and the seventh answer wherein the respondents

said that nature therapy could give them a fresher perspective and that it could

probably clear my head, since nature therapy has regenerative powers, it helps

reset our minds and bodies which could possibly give us a fresher perspective

and clear our minds.

42
 CHAPTER V.

PROJECT BRIEF

1. PROJECT DESCRIPTION

The project is an infographic video about Nature Therapy and how it helps

our mental well-being that seeks to encourage young adults to integrate it in their

daily lives especially students in College that are nearly graduating, graduating,

those transitioning into the work force and those that are starting in the work

force by providing information and elaborating the importance of interacting with

nature.

2. RATIONALE

The researcher chose this topic because people nowadays have forgotten

how important nature is especially how it can help us mentally and physically.

Through an infographic video, the researcher will provide the information that she

feels people need to remember, she will try to make the project entertaining and

as informative as possible. The only need this project will meet is that as much

as people would want to participate in nature therapy, urbanization has taken

over most place and most residential communities do not have a nearby park or

natural reserve. The researcher can prove and support the existence of the need

for this project because there are a lot of research that explains how nature

therapy is really helpful, beneficial and important in our lives, and there are also

sources that say that the rate of mental illness has increased through the years

43
because of urbanization, and the researcher would like to provide information

and a way to help stop this phenomenon.

3. PROJECT OBJECTIVES

This project aims to:

1. Share how nature therapy can greatly help our mental well-being and how

it can reduce stress

2. Present how nature therapy can be integrated in the daily life of a young

adult

3. Encourage young adults to participate in nature therapy

4. TECHNICAL COMPONENTS

SITEMAP

5. TARGET AUDIENCE/USER

Saira Lo is a 20 year-old graduating multimedia arts student at the De La

Salle College of Saint Benilde. She currently resides in Caloocan with her

family and she commutes everyday via the LRT or a jeepney ride to get to school.

44
 On her last year in college, she feels stressed because of the

responsibilities that are stacking up because of the different requirements that

her classes needs her to submit with a limited time constraint. Since she is nearly

graduating, she also needs to find options for her On the Job training, which is

most commonly known as OJT.

She rarely finds time to relax because she fears that she might not be able

to complete her requirements before the due date, so she is not able to relieve

stress. The only time she is able to actually relax is when she eats with her

friends.

6. TARGET BENEFICIARY

This projects target beneficiaries are young adults within the age bracket

of 18 to 25 years old. They can be either male or female that are in the social

class A or B because this project targets College students that are on their last

year in college, graduating, those transitioning into the work force, and those that

are new to the work force. The target beneficiaries would most likely reside, work

and/or study in urban environments and would like to get a break from the hectic

environment and forget about their responsibilities for a while.

7. TARGET MARKET

The projects target market would possibly be Psychologists, therapists or

health organizations that are looking for an unconventional but effective and easy

way to help their patients heal their mental well-being and restore their energy

and liveliness.

45
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50
APPENDIX

AGE
23 - 25
11%

21 - 23 18 - 20
32% 57%

Figure 1

SEX

Male
41%
Female
59%

Figure 2

OCCUPATION
Other
11%

Employed (full-
time) Undergraduate Student
20% 36%

Employed (part-
time)
4% Graduating Student
29%

Figure 3

51
 HOW DO YOU RELIEVE STRESS?
Other 59.30%
Take a walk 44.40%
Read a Book 37.00%
Play Video Games 42.00%
Exercise 32.10%
Get a massage 29.60%
Drink alcoholic drinks 12.30%
Smoke 12.30%

Figure 4

HAVE YOU HEARD ABOUT NATURE THERAPY BEFORE THIS

SURVEY?

Yes
33%

No
67%

Figure 5

IF YES, WHERE HAVE YOU HEARD OF THIS PRACTICE?

Other 20.70%
Therapist/Psychologist 10.30%
TV 24.10%
Magazine 17.20%
Online 58.60%
Family 13.80%
Friends 24.10%

Figure 6

52
 WHAT KIND OF ACTIVITES ARE YOU WILLING TO DO WHILE
IMMERSING YOURSELF IN NATURE?

Other 12.30%

Gardening 29.60%

Hiking 59.30%

Camping 60.50%

Exercise at a natural environment 43.20%

Go to a Park 74.10%

Figure 7

IF YOU HAVE DONE ANY OF THESE ACTIVITES, ON A

SCALE OF 1 TO 5, HOW DID YOU FEEL DURING THE
ACTIVITY?

40%
33.30%

14.70%
9.30%
2.70%

1 (Relaxed) 2 3 4 5 (Anxious/Stressed)

Figure 8

IMAGINE YOU ARE IN THE CITY, THERE ARE A LOT OF

PEOPLE AND BUILDINGS AROUND YOU AND YOU ARE IN
THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC. ON A SCALE OF 1 TO 5, HOW
DO YOU FEEL?

35.80% 38.30%

19.80%

3.70% 2.50%

1 (Relaxed) 2 3 4 5 (Anxious/Stressed)

Figure 9

53
 IMAGINE YOU'RE IN A PARK, THERE ARE TREES
AROUND YOU AND YOU HEAR THE BRIDS CHIRPING AND
THE LEAVES CRUNCHING UNDER YOUR FEET. ON A
SCALE OF 1 TO 5, HOW DO YOU FEEL?

50.60%

34.60%

4.90% 4.90% 4.90%

1 (Relaxed) 2 3 4 5 (Anxious/Stressed)

Figure 10

ON A SCALE OF 1 TO 5, WOULD YOU RATHER BE IN A

NATURAL ENVIRONMENT OR AN URBAN ENVIRONMENT?

44.40%

28%

22.20%

2.50% 2.50%

1 (Natural) 2 3 4 5 (Urban)

Figure 11

54