The autonomic nervous system in its natural environment: Immersion in nature is associated with changes in heart rate and heart rate variability.

Stress Recovery Theory (SRT) suggests that time spent in nature reduces stress. While many studies have examined changes in stress physiology after exposure to nature imagery, nature virtual reality, or nature walks, this study is the first to examine changes in heart rate (HR) and vagally mediated HR variability, as assessed by Respiratory Sinus Arrythmia (RSA), after a longer duration of nature exposure. Consistent with SRT, we hypothesized that immersion in nature would promote stress recovery, as indexed by an increase in RSA and a decrease in HR. We also predicted that exposure to nature would improve self-reported mood. We used a within-subjects design (N = 67) to assess changes in peripheral physiology before, during, and after a 5-day nature trip. Results demonstrated a significant decrease in RSA and a significant increase in HR during the trip compared to before or after the trip, suggesting that immersion in nature is associated with a shift toward parasympathetic withdrawal and possible sympathetic activation. These results were contrary to our hypotheses and may suggest increased attentional intake or presence of emotions associated with an increase in sympathetic activation. We also found an improvement in self-reported measures of mood during the trip compared to before or after the trip, confirming our hypotheses and replicating previous research. Implications of this study are discussed in the context of SRT.

Emotions in Social Relationships and Their Implications for Health and Disease: Introduction to the Special Issue of Psychosomatic Medicine.

Social relationships and emotions are important to health and disease, but research in this area has largely progressed along parallel and distinct historical paths. These areas are critically linked because relationships are among the most powerful elicitors of health-relevant emotions and emotions can in turn influence relationships for better or worse. Conceptually, relationships and emotions can have mediational, reciprocal, and interactive influences on health outcomes, associations that seem dependent on the broader sociocultural context. The articles in this issue of Psychosomatic Medicine are based on a joint meeting of the American Psychosomatic Society and the Society for Affective Science titled "Emotions in social relationships: implications for health and disease." Recent research and conceptual models that fall at the interface of relationships, emotions, and health are highlighted in this special issue. Future work that capitalizes on these links will be critical if this area is to fulfill its potential in terms of new scientific insights and intervention opportunities.