Nature Relatedness Usefully Links Well-Being, the Environment, and Sustainability
Abstract
Environmental and mental-health problems intersect unpleasantly in climate anxiety, yet they may share a common salve via connecting with nature. We review research on nature relatedness (people’s subjective sense of connection with nature) that shows clear positive links with well-being and efforts toward environmental sustainability. Beyond correlations, some experiences in nature increase nature relatedness, well-being, and sustainability, as demonstrated by experiments and large community intervention studies. These desirable outcomes are facilitated by active participation, mindful awareness, savoring, and reflecting on meaningful aspects of nature. Future research can extend these promising suggestions and improve applications with long-term, preregistered, randomized controlled trials that include more diverse participants. Still, nature relatedness can already assist applied efforts toward sustainability and well-being.
