After finishing my sophomore year at university, I was ready for a break. As a university student, I was constantly worried about course deadlines, lab work, and job commitments. After the semester, I traveled back home and turned off my student brain to relax for a while. I decided to take a stroll in nature, and all the stress hormones, cortisol, and adrenaline, which seemed to stock up during this totally weird college semester, just disappeared. It turns out that you cannot entirely turn off the student's brain and so here I am researching the biochemistry that resulted in all my stress hormones dissolving and the sudden surge of happy hormones after spending some time in nature. Seems totally unreal when nature can set up a complex set of reactions that just makes you feel happier. So when you feel overwhelmed, I recommend taking the aid of our mother nature. Mother nature to the rescue!
According to the Taking charge of your health and wellbeing article, How does Nature impact our wellbeing?, nature has been shown to heal the effects of extreme stress (“How Does Nature Impact Our Wellbeing? | Taking Charge of Your Health & Wellbeing,” 2012). How does nature reverse the effects of stress? One significant natural resource for human health is sunlight. Too much sunlight is linked to skin cancer. However, no sunlight exposure is also linked to vitamin D deficiency, a vitamin important for bone health. So moderate exposure to sunlight is necessary for your bones and mood. In a study conducted by Mead, Benefits of Sunlight: A bright spot for human health, he suggests that sunlight exposure can trigger the release of the neurotransmitter serotonin which is essential for a happy mood and a good mental focus (Mead, 2008).
Exposure to sunlight on our skin promotes a communication pathway that results in the release of the neurotransmitter serotonin which has been linked to a happy mood. Also, sunlight can trigger a chemical reaction within our bodies to synthesize vitamin D, which is crucial for our bone health. And to add to the bonus, taking walks in nature or adding some outdoor physical activity provides a good way to enjoy exercising! It is amazing how sunlight can do some good to your overall physical and mental well-being. However, too much exposure can also cause some side effects like skin burn, and skin cancer. So taking precautions like avoiding sunlight in the afternoon, and wearing sunscreen are necessary. Biochemistry constantly teaches us to try to maintain a balance, because too little or too much of something can cause deleterious effects.
With another blog, I have proven to you the importance of biochemistry and how important it is to understand the intricate details of the human body and its interaction with the surroundings. Moreover, it is worthwhile to appreciate how nature is a necessary element of our lives. So take a moment for expressing gratitude toward this planet and pledge to take more eco-friendly choices so that future generations can have the opportunity to enjoy nature.