Nature Nurtures Our Prosocial Side

Image by DALL·E 3

You've probably heard about the numerous personal benefits of spending time in nature. It's great for reducing stress, boosting our mood, and enhancing our cognitive functioning. All of this is awesome, but nature's benefits extend far beyond our individual well-being. It turns out that spending time in nature can actually push us outward, inspiring us to improve the lives of others.

Consider, for example, a fascinating series of studies by Dr. Noah Castelo, a professor at the University of Alberta School of Business, and his colleagues exploring how nature exposure influences our willingness to engage in prosocial behaviors - actions that benefit others.

In their first study, participants were simply asked to recall and write about a past experience. One group was instructed to think back to a time they spent in nature, while the other group recalled what they had for breakfast that day. After this writing task, participants completed a questionnaire assessing how important they felt it was to help others and make contributions to society, as well as how important they considered focusing on their own interests and personal identity.

Those who recalled their time in nature were significantly more likely to report that helping others and contributing to society were more important than focusing on their own interests and personal identity. This suggests that even just thinking about nature can shift our focus towards others and away from self-interest.

Building on this finding, the researchers conducted a field study at a local hiking trail to test this effect in a real-world setting. Participants were approached either before they set out on their hike or immediately after they returned. They were asked to complete a short survey and then offered a compensation choice: they could either enter a draw to win an iPad (a self-focused reward) or have a small donation made on their behalf to the United Way charity (a prosocial choice).

The results were striking. Among those who hadn't yet been on their hike, 52% chose to make the charitable donation. But among those who had just finished their hike, 83% opted for the charitable donation. Simply going on a hike in nature dramatically increased people's willingness to forgo a potential personal benefit in favor of helping others.

But what was driving this effect? The researchers found that the key factor was a sense of self-transcendence - a feeling of being connected to something greater than oneself. After their hike, participants reported higher levels of self-transcendence, which in turn predicted their likelihood of choosing the charitable donation. These findings demonstrate that nature doesn't just benefit us personally; it orients us outward towards prosocial action.

Ultimately, these actions that help others end up benefiting us personally as well. In a previous newsletter, I discussed the "outward action approach" to mental health. I believe one of the major causes of our nation's growing mental health problems—anxiety and depression—is our culture's increased obsession with mental health itself. The more time people spend fixated on their own worries, the more they tend to engage in unproductive rumination, which exacerbates rather than alleviates mental distress. The outward action approach to mental health encourages shifting attention away from one's own psychological states and towards engaging in physically and socially healthy activities, especially those that make a positive difference in the world.

Outdoor activities connect us to something larger than ourselves, orienting us toward prosocial behavior. This outward focus naturally takes our minds off our own problems. In addition, as I discussed in last week's newsletter, research shows that a sense of meaning in life is crucial for good mental health. However, this meaning doesn't arise from an inward focus; rather, it stems from a sense of social significance—the feeling that we're making a positive difference in others' lives. Nature experiences help nurture this outward-oriented mindset. 

By spending time in nature, we're not just improving our own well-being - we're cultivating a mindset that encourages us to look beyond ourselves and contribute positively to the world around us. This dual benefit makes nature an incredibly powerful tool for both personal and societal flourishing.

Have a great weekend!

Clay