How Nature Sparks Your Happy Chemicals

A purely biological perspective

Look how big this tree is! That's me at the bottom with my arms opened to give you a sense of scale. People often ask me about the happiness of being in nature, so here are 5 neuro-chemical explanations.

1. DOPAMINE
   Anything new or better triggers dopamine. Finding the biggest trees in the world sparks my dopamine. Snow in Southern California sparks my dopamine. Just getting away from my desk sparks it! Your dopamine in nature depends on your unique past experience. A rock climber and farmer will respond to different things.
   

2. SEROTONIN
   I was quite proud of myself for planning this trip. My husband wanted to make a 5-hour drive to a family event, and I wanted to find something fun to add to the trip. But we had already visited everything interesting in the area, so I started doing research. I felt good about my results, if I say so myself. You may be proud of yourself when you arrange a nice get-away. It's natural to compare your get-away to vacation photos of your friends and family, and feel good when you measure up.
   

3. OXYTOCIN
   It's easier to get the attention of others in nature where there are fewer distractions. Many people plan camping trips expecially to facilitate social bonding.
   

4. CORTISOL RELIEF
   Being in nature gets me away from things that trigger me. That's not because of nature itself - it's because of my individual circuits. If I had grown up in these woods, they could be reminders of painful past events. When you hear about a kid who spends all day the woods to unwind, it's usually to get away from something unpleasant at home.
   

5. REALISTIC EXPECTATIONS
   We like to believe that nature is all good, but that gets in the way of understanding the reality of things. Trees compete with other trees and squirrels compete with other squirrels. We do not benefit from believing that nature is good and "our society" causes everything bad. It only makes us cynical and frustrated. Realistic expectations about nature can help you enjoy the world you live in instead of waiting for a promised land that doesn't exist. This is the subject of my book, Why You’re Unhappy: Biology vs Politics.