Why the Color Green Makes Us Feel Good

Scientists have revealed a new theory into why the color green makes us feel good.

It is already well known that being out in nature is good for a person's mental health. But now, a new study published in the British Ecological Society has proposed a new theory for this called the "greenery hypothesis." They suggest that our need for green spaces is rooted in evolution.

The researchers suggest that when greenery disappears during times of drought, it triggers a signal in humans for environmental degradation. This can lead to negative psychological responses, and even lead to feelings of depression, the study reported.

However, when greenery returns, the researchers report that it triggers a positive mental response. This subsequently encourages them to resume positive activities like foraging, the study reported.

"These psycho-physiological responses must be crucial for survival during environmental fluctuations that humans have experienced in evolutionary adaptive environments," a summary of the study reports. "However, in modern urbanized societies with limited greenery, this psychological system may lead to non-adaptive negative effects, such as increased stress and depression, creating a mismatch between our evolutionary past and current cultural evolution. We believe that this hypothesis can provide valuable insights into understanding how humans psychologically respond to nature exposure, with implications for fields such as psychiatry, urban planning, and biodiversity conservation."

The scientists created this new hypothesis by compiling previous research into the effects of nature on humans.

And from this, they gather that ongoing loss of green spaces, particularly in urban environments, could have severe effects on human health and wellbeing.

They note that restoring natural environments in urban areas should be a matter of priority in order to address "psychological health prevalent in contemporary society."

They hope that the hypothesis outlined in the study provides a framework for improving conservation efforts and prioritizing green environments in urban areas. They also urge how nature and greenery must be prioritized for human wellbeing.

The greenery hypothesis also notes that humans are more likely to find a place beautiful or pleasing to look at if there is greenery. This is even more likely if a person is more used to urban environments that have a limited amount of nature around.

"Our proposed hypothesis states that humans have adapted to periodic severe drought and re-watering cycles by developing both negative and positive psychological responses to the absence or presence of greenery within the landscape as cues to optimize their own behavioral activity," the authors write in the study.

"The greenery hypothesis holds the potential to yield several insights into the fundamental understanding of human psychological responses to nature exposure with significant implications for various related fields, including psychiatry, urban planning, and biodiversity conservation and restoration."

Study's like this could become more important as the globe faces increased drought conditions due to climate change.

In fact, a report released by the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) in December has warned that drought is becoming a silent killer across the globe as climate change worsens.

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