Team DailyPedia
If you’re looking for ways to overcome your insecurities, spending time outdoors may probably help you solve your problem.
Social psychology researchers at Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge have found a link between experiencing natural environments and people’s perception of their bodies.
The study involved 199 female and 200 male participants aged between 19 and 76 from the US. An online survey using a range of statements about body image such as ‘I respect my body’, ‘I feel pressure from family members to look thinner’, ‘When I see good-looking people, I wonder about how my own looks measure up’, and ‘I often check my appearance in a mirror just to make sure I look okay’ were provided.
Participants were asked to rate the statements based on how strongly they agreed on a five-point scale. Moreover, they were also asked questions about how exposed they were to the natural environment.
According to Professor Viren Swami, their results showed that spending time outdoors could help boost the feeling of being a vital part of a wider ecosystem and make people feel more respect for their bodies. Furthermore, experiencing nature also removed pressures from society to conform to stereotypes like being muscular or thin.
“Spending time in a natural environment may help us develop a sense of ownership over our physical selves, give us a greater respect for our bodies, and a better understanding of what our bodies can do rather than what our bodies look like,” Professor Swami explained.
Once their findings are confirmed by further studies, Professor Swami suggests the use of hiking or camping therapies to treat people with body image issues.
