Magnesium 500mg, 90 Vegan Tablets. 3 Months Supply. Supports Muscle and Bone Health. Vegan Formula Magnesium Supplement.
£7.97 (as of September 10, 2024 20:28 GMT +00:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
Magnesium Supplement Tablets, By Vitabiotics Ultra
£3.66 (as of September 10, 2024 20:28 GMT +00:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
Vitamin D3 4000 IU – 400 High Strength Vitamin D Tablets (1+ Year Supply) – Vegetarian Immune System Vitamins - One A Day Vitamin D Supplement - VIT D3 As Cholecalciferol - Made in The UK
£8.99 (as of September 10, 2024 20:28 GMT +00:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)I live in a country that, unfortunately, is more interested in building rabbit hutch style apartments than creating open green spaces for the physical and mental health of its population. I am therefore always envious and in awe whenever I visit any large city in Europe. This is because parks, of all shapes and sizes, can be found all over the city.
In fact, I make it a point to specifically visit such parks, not only due to their natural beauty, but in particular due to the relaxing feeling I get once inside the park, whether it’s admiring the plants and flowers, the ducks in the lake or just simply, people watching.
Spending time with nature in our cities’ parks and gardens can improve individual satisfaction in life and make us less aggressive, anxious and stressed. So isn’t it time we placed access to nature alongside good health, feeling secure, satisfying employment and positive social relationships as key routes to happiness?
Various studies indicate that green spaces lead to happiness. In fact, a recent study by U.K. researchers suggests that living close (within 300 metres) of urban green space is associated with greater happiness, sense of worth and life satisfaction.
Having a life partner has been found to be one of the strongest factors in influencing people’s happiness and building a satisfying life. Policymakers cannot legislate for love but they can build parks, which this study found to have a beneficial effect almost a third as strong as a relationship.
As societies become increasingly urbanised with more people living in cities, city parks and gardens have become the main point of human contact with nature. Underlying physical factors such as cleaner and cooler air may explain why parks and gardens make us feel better, tempting us to spend more time outdoors and get involved in physical activity.
Some experiments suggest green spaces have an additional power: revitalising the mind. Even pictures or window views of nature can help to reduce stress, relax the mind and restore attention. People exposed both physically and virtually to natural scenes generally perform better on a range of memory and concentration tasks than those exposed to urban scenes.
In other studies, images of the natural environment reduced stress in participants while those of urban scenes actually increased aggravation, anxiety and sadness. Now there’s a reason to invest in more parks, if ever one was required.
By enabling individuals to relax and rejuvenate, green spaces may play a critical role in the social functioning of cities. Mental state is crucial to a person’s ability to deal with change and challenges in life.
It’s not all positive though. Green spaces are often places of darkness and may be associated with crime, eliciting feelings of insecurity and fear. Poorly managed spaces may act as local dumping grounds, becoming ugly, smelly or dangerous. Lakes can suffer algal blooms with potential toxicity. Still, empirical evidence of the positive effects of green spaces far outweigh the negative, though the negative contributions of green spaces that have been allowed to decay have received much less attention.
Green spaces can be designed in practical ways that support native species and ecosystems, while remaining aesthetically pleasing. There may be opportunities to increase shade and water features of green spaces to help cities and their citizens adapt to climate change. New green spaces are now taking a wider range of forms, including native gardens, grasslands and artificial wetland ecosystems, in addition to the more traditional urban parks.
The more densely populated the area, the more the people living there need green, breathing spaces to escape to. When spare land is hard to come by, councils and urban planners need to think about greening whatever is available, like roofs and walls, with carefully chosen plants.
Well designed and managed cities need well designed and managed green spaces. They are increasingly critical to the happiness of city-dwellers and the sustainability of the cities we live in. In a political climate ruled by investments and deficit – and as all of us could do with a little more happiness – it’s time we invest in reducing our nature deficit.
3
0
250
