Nature as Medicine: Celebrating Mental Health Month at CMU 🌿

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Nature as Medicine: Celebrating Mental Health Month at CMU 🌿

Nature as Medicine: Celebrating Mental Health Month at CMU 🌿

“Just smell the grass, the dirt… or whatever Rapunzel said.”

In celebration of National Mental Health Month, remember that nature at CMU isn’t just a backdrop — it’s medicine.

From early morning walks under the sun to the crisp Musuan air before exams, our campus environment heals body and mind. It calms our nervous systems, improves sleep, and keeps us grounded through the rush of life.
The best part? Healing is always right outside the classroom. All it takes is stepping onto the green, opening our senses, and letting nature do the rest.

20-Minute Nature Breaks: Taking a 20-minute “nature pill” — sitting or walking in green space — significantly drops salivary cortisol at the highest rate of efficiency.

Natural Soundscapes: Natural sounds, especially bird calls, calm the brain’s stress and threat centers, restoring focus and improving mood.

Natural Sunlight: Exposure to natural sunlight boosts serotonin — lifting mood — while regulating your circadian rhythm for deeper sleep.

Outdoor Walking: Taking a walk outdoors can boost creative problem-solving by up to 60% compared to sitting.

Proximity to Water: Being near water can shift the body into a “Blue Mind” state — activating the parasympathetic nervous system to lower heart rate and boost mood.

References:

Hunter, M. C. R., Gillespie, B. W., & Chen, S. Y. P. (2019). Urban nature experiences reduce stress in the context of daily life based on salivary biomarkers. Frontiers in Psychology, 10, 722. doi.org

Ratcliffe, E., Gatersleben, B., & Sowden, P. T. (2013). Bird sounds and their contributions to perceived attention restoration and stress recovery. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 36, 221–228. doi.org

Lambert, G. W., Reid, C., Kaye, D. M., Jennings, G. L., & Esler, M. D. (2002). Effect of sunlight and season on serotonin turnover in the brain. The Lancet, 360(9348), 1840–1842. doi.org

Oppezzo, M., & Schwartz, D. L. (2014). Give your ideas some legs: The positive effect of walking on creative thinking. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 40(4), 1142–1152. doi.org

Nichols, W. J. (2014). Blue Mind: The surprising science that shows how being near, in, on, or under water can make you happier, healthier, more connected, and better at what you do. Little, Brown and Company.