Me: I cannot believe how wonderful it is to live close to nature.
Henry: Yeah, fresh air and green is awesome.
Me: I can’t believe that you did not try to get me to move sooner. It’s like you’ve been keeping a secret from me.
Henry: Well when it comes to moving from the City, you’re ready when you’re ready. Before then, you’re just not ready. I just never felt like you were ready. Think about it Al, if I had asked you to consider moving five years ago, what would you have told me?
Me: Hmm, yeah, maybe you’re right.
If you live in a city, ask yourself if you are ready to move to the country. Chances are, you are not.
My buddy Todd, who also lived in New York City sent me a great article from the Washington Post. The article documents a long-term Harvard study funded by the National Institutes of Health called the Nurses’ Health Studyand. This study found that people who live in “greener” areas, with more vegetation around, have a lower risk of mortality. For those of you who want to slog through the actual study, click this link to download the 32 page study.
The study determined that people who had the most vegetation within 800 feet of their homes — had a 12 percent lower rate of mortality from any non-accidental cause than people living in the least green places. Specifically, they found that the relationship was strongest for deaths related to respiratory disease, cancer and kidney disease.
It is still too early to tell whether living in nature is improving my mental health, but I can say that I love waking up and seeing wildlife like birds, geese, ducks, deer among our pond and greenery of the forest around us.
Hey Al! A new, large Harvard study further confirms the benefits of living among the leaves!