Nature pathways to health and social connections
Have you ever felt alone – even when surrounded by people? Loneliness is one of the major wellbeing challenges of our time. It does not discriminate by age, life situation, or place of residence. It can creep in quietly, unnoticed, and become a permanent part of everyday life.
A seminar held at Meilahti Bridge Hospital focused on promoting the health of working-age and older adults through nature-based approaches. Participants had the opportunity to learn about one of the major challenges of our time – loneliness− identify nature-based methods for enhancing well-being and health, and hear the latest research findings related to well-being, loneliness, and social health.
Societal change and the emphasis on individualism
We live in a time where individualism, self-reliance, and career orientation have taken center stage. Community, family, and neighbourhood support have weakened in many places. More and more, we lean on the structures of society – even though we could lean more on each other.
The COVID-19 pandemic increased loneliness and made it visible. Isolation affected all of us, and for many, the feeling of loneliness became a lasting one. Loneliness is quite common in Finland. For example, more than half of older adults in assisted living facilities suffer from loneliness at least sometimes.
Loneliness is not just an experience – it’s a public health issue
Loneliness affects mental and physical health , functional ability, and even life expectancy. In our work across different sectors, we see its effects concretely – at its saddest, in the form of extreme outcomes. Loneliness can touch people during the life course.
One of our key shared themes could be combating loneliness through social rehabilitation. Social rehabilitation means support that strengthens a person’s participation and social functioning. It can be individual or group-based, and it helps prevent social exclusion.
Nature – a resource and a place for connection
Nature is not just a landscape – it is a part of us. It offers a chance to slow down, and at the same time, to connect without pressure. Nature can also be an important part of social rehabilitation. It provides a low-threshold environment where one can move, participate, and feel a sense of belonging.
Nature experiences can also be brought indoors – for example through art, literature, or shared meals. A nature trail can, at its best, become a path to recovery – step by step toward inclusion and wellbeing.
Nature could be the key
Loneliness cannot be solved alone. It requires shared actions, cooperation, will, and adequate resources. We must build paths that lead toward inclusion – and nature can be one of the strongest routes.
When we take care of nature, it takes care of us. Nature can act as an active partner in human wellbeing. It can also serve as a symbolic path – guiding us toward community, toward one another[AJ6] . It can be a place where a person can be at peace but also be seen. A place where there is no need to perform – it is enough just to be.
Finnish nature is a source of empowerment
In Finland, we have a unique opportunity to utilize nature and effective nature-based methods as part of social rehabilitation and strengthening of community. Let’s make it a shared resource. Let’s build paths together – paths where no one walks alone, but side by side – toward inclusion, wellbeing, and connection.
The event was organized and facilitated by the Helsinki team of the RECETAS project in collaboration with The Finnish Association for the Welfare of Older Adults, Miina Sillanpää Foundation, Western Uusimaa Wellbeing Services County and HUS Primary Healthcare Unit. At HUS, the Primary Health Care Unit serves as the designated authority for promoting health and well-being. Learn more at www.hus.fi/hyvakierre.
The text is based on the opening remarks by Member of Parliament, Chair of the Kela Council, and Chair of the Parliamentary Rehabilitation Network, Mira Nieminen. Authors: from RECETAS Helsinki: Research coordinator Anu Jansson, PhD, Program Director, Miina Sillanpää Foundation; Researcher Annika Kolster, Chief physician of education, LUVN; Postdoc researcher Ulla Aalto, MD, PhD, Geriatrician, Helsinki University Hospital; Researcher Laura Rautiainen, Head of regional coordinator, The Finnish Association for the Welfare of Older Adults; Research director Kaisu Pitkälä, MD, PhD, Professor emerita.