Have you ever had ecotherapy? 6 Minute English

Neil: Hello, this is 6 Minute English.

I'm Neil.

Georgina: And I'm Georgina.

Neil: Georgina, what do you do

to cheer yourself up?

Georgina: Having a walk usually helps -

especially if it's in the countryside.

Neil: Yes, being in all the green

open space can certainly help us

relax and de-stress - getting back

to nature can be a tonic

when you're feeling down.

Georgina: A tonic is something that

makes you feel happier and healthier.

I'll drink to that!

Neil: Me too. But connecting with

the natural world is particularly

beneficial to people with mental health

issues such as clinical depression.

And it's something that's being

called 'ecotherapy'. More on that in

a moment but here's a question for you

to answer, Georgina.

Georgina: OK, Neil. Fire away.

Neil: Well, seeing or even hugging trees

is a form of therapy, but how high

is the world's tallest tree

thought to be? Is it...

a) 65.8 metres, b) 115.8 metres,

or c) 185.8 metres?

Georgina, any ideas?

Georgina: Not a clue - but let's go for

the highest figure of 185.8 metres.

Neil: Are you sure? Well, we'll have

to wait until the end of the programme

to find out.

Now, the mental health charity, Mind,

describes ecotherapy as a formal type

of treatment which involves doing

outdoor activities in nature.

However, there's not one simple definition,

it just relates to doing activities outdoors.

Georgina: Yes, it can involve doing

many things, such as outdoor yoga

or horticulture - another name for

gardening. It doesn't involve taking

medication, but instead it just develops a

person's relationship with nature.

Neil: It's something Patricia Hasbach

knows a lot about

She's a clinical psychotherapist

and told the BBC Radio programme

Health Check how ecotherapy can help.

Does she say it can

help everyone?

Patricia Hasbach: I often think about

ecotherapy as another tool

in the therapist's toolbox.

It's not a panacea. It's not going to erase

somebody's pain or grief.

But it is a powerful tool, you know.

Traditionally therapy has stopped

at the urban boundary.

Neil: So it's interesting that she describes

ecotherapy as a tool - something that can

be used to achieve something else.

Here is can be used to help improve

someone's mental health.

Georgina: Ah, but she says it's not

a panacea - so not something

that will solve everything - it won't

erase or get rid of someone's pain.

But going beyond what she calls the

'urban boundary', and into the

natural world, means there is another

method for helping people.

Neil: Now, as we've mentioned,

ecotherapy can take on many forms -

doing art in a forest or running on

a beach are all therapeutic.

They're things that makes you feel better

or healthier.

Georgina: Well, I think that's clear, but

what is it about the outdoors that affects us?

Neil: A good question, Georgina.

It seems from research that our busy

brains are always on guard,

but when we get into nature it gets a

break, there's not so much to be on the

lookout for and we can relax.

Georgina: Well, it does seem the negative

symptoms of urban life can benefit from a

dose of nature - a dose is

an amount of something.

Let's get a good explanation

from an expert.

Environmental psychologist

Birgitta Gatersleben also spoke

to the BBC Health Check programme

and gave two reasons - one of them,

she explained, was something

called 'biophilia'.

Birgitta Gatersleben: Biophilia, very briefly,

is really an innate positive response that

people have with life and life-like features.

The idea that nature reminds us of life, and

if we (are) exposed to the natural

elements then our sort of

negative feelings get almost

immediately replaced

with positive emotions.

Neil: Birgitta Gatersleben there explaining

biophilia - which is a passion

for or empathy

with the natural world and living things.

Georgina: She said biophilia is innate,

which means is a quality that

you're born with.

So basically, most of us were born

to connect with nature - nature

reminds us of life and

gives us good, positive emotions.

Neil: Naturally. OK. Well, Georgina,

maybe getting today's quiz question

right will give you positive emotions.

Earlier I asked you how high

the world's tallest tree is thought

to be. Is it...

a) 65.8 metres, b) 115.8 metres,

or c) 185.8 metres?

What did you say?

Georgina: I said c) 185.8 metres.

Neil: Oh dear, I'm afraid that's far too high!

The correct answer is 115.8 metres.

Never mind. The tree, named Hyperion,

is a type of redwood and was

found in California in 2006.

Georgina: Well, that's still very tall,

and would be great to see.

Neil: Now we've just got time

to recap some of the vocabulary

we've discussed, starting with 'tonic'

which can be a fizzy drink you mix with

an alcoholic drink, but in the context

of therapy it can mean something that

makes you feel happier and healthier.

Georgina: Horticulture is the study

or activity of growing garden plants -

in other words, gardening.

Neil: A panacea is something

believed to solve everything.

Georgina: If something is therapeutic,

it makes you feel better or healthier.

Neil: We also discussed biophilia, which is

a passion for or empathy with the natural

world and living things.

Georgina: And innate means a quality that

you naturally have - you're born with it.

Neil: Well, as you know I have

an innate quality for presenting this

programme - but now it's time to go.

Please join us next time, and don't forget

to check us out on your favourite

social media platform, on our app and

of course the website

bbclearningenglish.com. Goodbye.

Georgina: Bye!