Which place do you prefer to live, in a large city or a small countryside? Unsurprisingly, because of better education system, more opportunities to get a job, more comfortable transportation, and fashionable life, most of people usually choose to reside in urban areas. However, do you know? Although country people miss out on the bustle and bright lights, by closing contact with nature, they get many good conditions to have a good health instead.
According to the article, “Country VS City: Green spaces are better for you”, published in New Scientist (2010), there are numerous studies which explore the linkage between living in green spaces and being healthy. From Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, Schultz reports that the prevalence of 15 common illnesses- such as depression and anxiety, asthma, heart disease, diabetes, headaches, respiratory infections- depended on the amount of green area within 1 kilometer of the patients’ homes; for example, in green spaces, depression fell from 32 to 24 cases per thousand while respiratory infections decrease from 84 to 86 cases per thousand. Moreover, country walks can enhance both our mental and physical health. Reflecting on Environmental Health and Preventive, Schultz writes that a relaxing stroll through the forest lowers cortisol levels, pulse rate, blood pressure, and sympathetic nervous system activity more than walk through pleasurable urban areas. He also notes that short walking in the park helps children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) improving their symptoms, basing on Medicine and Journal of Attention Disorders. In fact, even a few plants around the house may be having some benefit. From Environment and Behavior, “Children are more resilient to stressful events if they have more greenery in surrounding their houses (Schultz, 2010, ¶ 18).”
Many people from rural area come into a city for seeking their opportunity but less people from big cities go out to live in countryside. However, the charm of nature is always attractive. Even if city dwellers who love the noise and bustle of a large city, sometimes, they fell like going into the country to get fresh air and recharge their energy. That’s why, I believe that human prefer to closing with nature more than concrete. By our instinct, we’ve already realized that “natural surrounding really do have a significant impact on our well-being (¶ 3)”. It’s deep in our genes.
Which place is better? For me, undoubtedly, I like the countryside. But in real life, I want to live closing with nature as much as I can.
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For my personal opinion, I prefer city life because I was born and grow up in city.I'm familiar with department store,many entermainment and taxi with traffic jam. Countryside for me should be a relax place on holiday.Natural, fresh air sound good for me, but I don't think I can stand with unconvenience things more than a month.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Pim.
ReplyDeleteThe country is lovely to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there; nor would most people as the continuing exodus to cities worldwide shows.
Personally, I prefer countryside because I was born in there, but I have to move to city because I would like to continue study in university and I need a good job. After I graduated, I cannot go back to my hometown because I cannot find a job which I want in there, so I still live in city. I hope that if I can find a good job in my hometown, I will go back to there.
ReplyDeleteI like contryside also I was born in there, but I don't want to live in there.
ReplyDeleteFor the last 7 or 8 years I have had a personal conflict with this idea of to choose countryside or city. I love the relaxing, fresh and healthy feeling of walking in a nature atmosphere; but at the same time, I love the exciting life of a big city.
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of the article about to share your city life with some plants in your apartment, or scape sometimes to the countryside. Life is balance, and I think that I should buy some plants to put in my balcony ^_*
The best for me it is to live in a town between 200 000 and 2 000 000 inhabitants. I do not like to take long from one place to another. I can not live in the countryside because like most of you. I like to be in contact with my friends, to go concerts, movies, library,...but I really need to be in contact with nature. One of the thing I miss, since I have been in my apartment, is to have a garden or to be close to a park or a forest. In Africa, I have a garden and I only need 10 minutes to go to the bush. In Paris, I only have to walk 5 min to go a park or to the river and 30 minutes to go to a forest. For me it is not enough to have plants in your apartment. Last week, I pass through Lumphini park to take the MRT, it was wonderful to be in contact with the trees and a commodore came close to me with a fishcat in its mouth! I realise that this “relaxing stroll through” the Lumphini park maybe lowers my “cortisol levels, pulse rate, blood pressure, and sympathetic nervous system activity” because I felt very well!
ReplyDeleteCristina,
ReplyDeleteThat it conveniently includes Lumpini Park is one reason I prefer to walk to and from AUA every day. It's especially pleasant early in the morning. If you walk through around 6:00 AM, the park is full of people jogging, talking, walking, drinking tea, doing t'ai-ch'i, singing, working out, or just sitting around enjoying the relative cool amongst the greenery.
And the monitor lizards are strolling around looking for breakfast - a fish, a turtle, a too slow pigeon or anything meaty. It's a bit gross to watch, but those big lizards, and some are very big, are very efficient at ripping bits off captured turtles. Fortunately, they don't seem to concerned with passers-by. I've never heard of them attacking anyone, though their claws, and I guess teeth, could probably do some damage if they needed to.
I'm glad Lumpini is so close to my home, but wouldn't want to live anywhere save the middle of a large city. Sydney also has a lot of green areas, along with it's harbour and beaches, and it's a great place to live, too.