Skip to main content
  • Corporate
    • Corporate
    • Adviser
    • Join AIA
    • Get Advice
    • Home Loans
    • Make a Claim
    • About AIA
    • Contact Us
    • MyAIA
  • Search
  • Home
  • Life & Disability
    • Life Insurance
    • Trauma Insurance
    • Total Permanent Disablement Insurance
    • Income Protection Insurance
    • Business & Rural Insurance
  • Health Insurance
    • Private Health
    • Cancer Care
  • Starter Plans
    • AIA Starter Plans
    • Why choose Starter
    • AIA Vitality Starter
    • Manage my plan
  • Help & Support
    • Contact AIA
    • Claims
    • FAQs and Forms
    • My AIA
    • Get advice
    • Earning Airpoints Dollars™
    • Investment Products
    • Policy and Enhancement Information
    • All our locations
    • Vulnerable Customers Support
    • COVID-19 Support
    • Complaints - AIA
  • AIA Vitality
    • What is AIA Vitality
    • Our Partners & Rewards
    • Apple Watch Benefit
    • Content Hub
    • Already a member? Login
  • Content Hub
    • Move Well
    • Think Well
    • Eat Well
    • Plan Well
    • Better Lives with AIA Vitality
  • Get Advice
  • Make a claim
  • Home Loans
  • MyAIA
Menu
  • Corporate
  • Adviser
  • Join AIA
  • Get Advice
  • Home Loans
  • Make a Claim
  • About AIA
  • Contact Us
  • MyAIA
AIA New Zealand AIA New Zealand
  • Life & Disability
    AIA Living

    Life & Disability

    The most important things in your life are your family, your lifestyle and your future. This is what life, trauma and disability insurance are there to protect.

    For Individuals

    For Business

    • Life Insurance

      Protects your loved ones’ future if you're diagnosed with a terminal illness or die.

    • Trauma Insurance

      Supports you and your family while you or your child navigate a serious illness or injury.

    • Total Permanent Disablement Insurance

      Secures your future if a serious illness or injury leaves you permanently disabled.

    • Income Protection Insurance

      Safeguards your ability to earn if you’re unable to work due to illness or injury.

    • Business & Rural Insurance

      Protection for new and existing business owners if a key person becomes seriously ill, is injured, or dies.

  • Health Insurance
    AIA Health

    Health Insurance

    Having good health is invaluable. Remove the worry around unexpected medical bills, focus on the right treatment when and where you need it, and start your recovery sooner.

    • Private Health

      Takes care of your medical expenses for a range of health conditions and provides faster medical care that suits your needs.

    • Cancer Care

      Specialised health insurance that helps cover costs for cancer diagnosis, treatment, and recovery.

  • Starter Plans

    AIA Starter Plans

    Simple plans you can buy online today

    • AIA Starter Plans

      Simple plans you can buy online today

    • Why choose Starter

      Learn more about our Starter Plan insurance cover and AIA Vitality Starter

    • AIA Vitality Starter

      Entry level membership automatically included with all AIA Starter Plans.

    • Manage my plan

      Helpful tips on how best to manage your AIA Starter Plan

  • Help & Support

    Help & Support

    We strive to assist you for all your inquiries with high touch customer service.

    Contact AIA
    • Contact AIA

      We strive to assist you for all your inquiries with high touch customer service.

    • Claims

      Get help with making a claim.

    • FAQs and Forms

      Updating policies, moving house, changing names... our FAQs section has all the answers and forms.

    • My AIA

      Previously called MySovereign - our customer portal

    • Get advice

      If you're interested in talking to an insurance expert, we can put you in touch with an adviser in your area.

    • Earning Airpoints Dollars™

      You can earn Airpoints Dollars™ with AIA New Zealand. Find out more.

    • Investment Products

      The latest Sovereign investment performance information, as well as a list of closed and terminated investment products.

    • Policy and Enhancement Information

      Policy and enhancement information for policy holders of current and closed AIA and Sovereign policies.

    • All our locations

      Details of all our office locations across New Zealand

    • Vulnerable Customers Support

      A list of some of the services available in New Zealand that offer support, information and help.

    • COVID-19 Support

      Supporting our customers through Covid-19

    • Complaints - AIA

      If you have a complaint, we’ll do our best to resolve the situation.

  • AIA Vitality

    AIA Vitality

    AIA Vitality encourages and supports you to live a healthier life, while giving you access to great rewards along the way.

    • What is AIA Vitality

      AIA Vitality’s approach can take you on a journey to better health

    • Our Partners & Rewards

      Learn more about the amazing partners and rewards you'll have access to with AIA Vitality

    • Apple Watch Benefit

      Earn an Apple Watch Series 7 by reaching your weekly physical activity targets

    • Content Hub

      Your go to for science-backed, health and wellbeing inspiration and advice.

    • Already a member? Login

      Check your AIA Vitality points status and get access to the tools you need to help improve your health

  • Content Hub

    Content Hub

    Our Content Hub is brought to you by AIA Vitality, the science-backed programme that helps you learn more about your health, offers ways to improve it and motivates you with rewards along the way.

    • Move Well

      Finding your further when it comes to exercise and fitness.

    • Think Well

      Tools and information to help cultivate a healthy frame of mind.

    • Eat Well

      Caring for your body with food that makes you feel good.

    • Plan Well

      Planning for tomorrow matters, because a good tomorrow starts today.

    • Better Lives with AIA Vitality

      Real stories about how AIA Vitality has changed lives and why small steps matter.

  • Search
  • Contact Us
    • Chat with us

      Available Mon-Fri, 8am to 6pm

    • Call Us

      0800 500 108 on Mon-Fri, 8am to 6pm

    • Send us a message

      via our online contact form

    • Talk to an adviser

      Get free expert insurance advice

    • Log in to MyAIA

      (Previously called MySovereign)

Think Well
Prev | Next
Contact Us
Talk to an Adviser
Back to Top
  • {{title}}

    {{label}}
  • Tim Jarvis: Why caring for the planet is good for your mental health

    AIA Vitality NZ - 6 min read

    13 January 2022

    • Environment
    • Mental Wellbeing

    It’s clear there’s an important link between our health and the environment – which AIA New Zealand has recently recognised as part of their updated 5590+ health insight.

    Tim Jarvis at his planting project

    A healthy environment is beneficial for us because of things like improved air quality, which reduces respiratory disease. Noise and air pollution also have demonstrated links with diseases like Alzheimer's. Climate change has a whole range of physical impacts on people, from heat stress to extreme weather events. There’s even recent research which suggests that microbes in plants and fungi are beneficial to our health because they can help boost our immune system. 

    Physical benefits of time in nature are readily accepted

    A healthy environment is beneficial for us because of things like improved air quality, which reduces respiratory disease. Noise and air pollution also have demonstrated links with diseases like Alzheimer's. Climate change has a whole range of physical impacts on people, from heat stress to extreme weather events. There’s even recent research which suggests that microbes in plants and fungi are beneficial to our health because they can help boost our immune system. 

    Yet we overlook the link between nature and mental health

    But the lesser-known impacts are the ones on our mental health and wellbeing. For example, levels of cortisol – a hormone linked with stress – decrease when people spend time outdoors.

    It’s interesting that, from an evolutionary perspective, humans have spent 99 per cent of their history in nature as hunter-gatherers. Basically, it’s the last 10,000 years out of a million (give or take) that we’ve been living in structured, urbanised environments. 

    What is 5590+?

    5590+ is a health insight that has profound implications for all New Zealanders. It represents the five lifestyle choices – physical inactivity, poor nutrition, smoking, excess alcohol consumption and interaction with the environment – that lead to the five non-communicable diseases – respiratory and heart diseases, cancer, diabetes and mental health conditions and disorders – that cause over 90 per cent of deaths in New Zealand.

    Learn more about 5590+. 

    The ghost of the savanna

    There are two researchers, Orians and Heerwargen, who published a study in 1992 called ‘Evolved responses to landscapes’. They outline the ‘savanna hypothesis’, which describes the wonderful idea that the innate need for a relationship with nature is driven by the evolutionary ‘ghost’ of the environment we evolved from in our brains.

    In other words, from an evolutionary perspective, we spent so long in the African savanna that it’s part of who we are. We need those natural environments to give us a sense of mental calm. We aren’t fully equipped to manage the levels of overstimulation we subject ourselves to in the modern city environment. 

    We have an innate need for indirect attention

    Interestingly, this is not unlike another theory pioneered by two environmental psychologists – Rachel and Stephen Kaplan – in the 1980s.  ‘Attention restoration theory’ argues that natural environments – pure, unthreatening landscapes – are something we can pay ‘indirect attention’ to. This form of attention, in turn, has a soothing effect on the brain.

    If you think of the New Zealand bush, it’s peaceful and harmonious – you don’t need to devote a lot of mental energy to be among it. From an evolutionary perspective, this is ideal. In the urban world, our brain needs to work incredibly hard to process all the stimuli we’re surrounded with. Again, evolutionarily speaking, this isn’t a good thing – because the brain is constantly searching for danger. Our natural state is to be using indirect attention, absorbing the environment around us.

    All this is to say something you likely already know to be true: we feel good, mentally and physically, when we are immersed in nature. I spend a lot of time planting trees and pulling weeds, repetitive tasks in a natural space, and I feel it allows me to access a deeper cycle of thinking. It’s funny; we all understand that a computer needs a bit of time to process complex information – yet we don’t apply this logic to ourselves. We’ve got the most effective supercomputer ever created sitting between our shoulders.

    A need for change

    From a government level down, we need to quantify the mental benefits that nature provides us. We need to frame these benefits as clearly as we do the physical ones of activities like, say, bushwalking or surfing (or maybe even a polar expedition).

    Policy decisions around urban environments need to be informed by the innate human need for nature. Studies show between 50% - 80% of New Zealanders will experience mental distress or addiction (eg. depression, anxiety) at some point during their lives. There’s demonstrated evidence that access to natural environments can, in part, alleviate some of this mental health burden. If we can’t bring people to green spaces, we need to bring these spaces to them. 

    We need to think like children

    Previously, I’ve worked with urban planners and developers – and they often talk about designing cities for kids. There’s a real cleverness to this insight. Children can't drive cars: in a city for kids, you need to travel from point A to point B by bicycle or foot without crossing busy roads.

    A city designed in this way will prioritise shared natural spaces that are accessible without the need for people to seek them out. Humans are creatures of habit, and even with access to wild nature within 30 minutes’ drive of Auckland, New Zealand’s most populated city – people will still opt to stay within the urban environment.

    Some parting words

    Unfortunately, we tend to regard flora – all the plants, trees and grasses we share the planet with – as second-class citizens. But they’re the oxygen fixers and nutrient providers for the rest of us. Without flora, there is nothing.

    It’s a folly to think of ourselves as separate or distinct from the natural world. Just because we can build environments removed from nature, we don’t escape the need for it. It’s plants – green spaces – that provide us with what we need to survive.

    If you’re an AIA Vitality member you can help support our charity partner, Trees That Count. Trees That Count is a conservation charity which has been championing native tree planting for over 20 years. They work with businesses, communities and everyday Kiwis with a vision to help plant 200 million native trees across our country which will restore native bush, waterways and help combat climate change.

    Disclaimer: The information in this article is general information only and is not intended as financial, medical, health, nutritional, tax or other advice. It does not take into account any individual’s personal situation or needs. You should consider obtaining professional advice from a financial adviser and/or tax specialist, or medical or health practitioner, in relation to your own circumstances and before acting on this information.


    Tim Jarvis

    Article by: Tim Jarvis

    AIA Vitality Ambassador Tim Jarvis is a world-renowned polar explorer, expedition leader and environmental scientist. With a focus on sustainability, Tim has more than 25 years’ worth of experience in his respective fields, and a wealth of knowledge when it comes to helping teams and individuals perform at their highest level. He also leads The Forktree Project, a registered charity that aims to return a 133–acre former pastoral property in South Australia to a natural state. 


    This content is brought to you by AIA Vitality

    AIA Vitality is a personalised, health and wellbeing programme that supports you every day to make healthier lifestyle choices. Visit aiavitality.co.nz

    FOLLOW


    You might like these

    01 December 2021

    Growing up green: How to discuss climate change with your kids

    AIA Vitality NZ - 5 min read


    When we talk about the climate crisis, we know the role our children will play in confronting future challenges.

    08 September 2021

    Is organic produce *really* better? We ask the experts.

    AIA Vitality NZ - 5 min read


    Organic produce may cost more, but does that actually make it better for you?

    30 November 2021

    Better Lives with AIA Vitality: Joyce Wang - How a ‘walking school bus’ helped me fit exercise into my routine

    AIA Vitality NZ - 3 min read


    With a little creativity, you can easily fit exercise into your daily routine - even as a busy parent.
    Contact Us

    0800 500 108

    Mon-Fri 8:30am - 5pm

    Live chat

    Mon-Fri 8am - 6pm

    Postal address

    AIA New Zealand Limited
    Private Bag 92499
    Victoria St West
    Auckland 1142

    View all contact options
    CONTACT US

    0800 500 108

    Mon-Fri 8:30am - 5pm

    Live chat
    Mon - Fri 8am to 6pm
    AIA House, 74 Taharoto Road, Takapuna, Auckland 0622, New Zealand
    View all contact options
    Company
    About AIA New Zealand
    Careers
    News and Press
    Sovereign joins AIA
    Our Financial Strength
    Anti-bribery and corruption
    Rainbow Tick
    Vist AIA.com to learn more about AIA Group.
    Quick Links
    AIA Vitality
    Airpoints™
    Our Financial Strength
    Our Commitments
    Our Products
    Life Insurance
    Health Insurance
    Income Protection Insurance
    Business Continuity Cover
    AIA Starter Plans
    GO Home Loans
    Join AIA
    Get Advice
    Company
    About AIA New Zealand
    Careers
    News and Press
    Sovereign joins AIA
    Anti-bribery and corruption
    Our Financial Strength
    Our Commitments
    Rainbow Tick
    Visit AIA.com to learn more about AIA Group.
    Quick links
    AIA Vitality
    Airpoints™
    Home Loans: GO Online login
    MyAIA login
    Investment Products
    Past Insurance Products
    Make a Claim
    FAQs
    Our products
    Life Insurance
    Health Insurance
    Income Protection Insurance
    Business Continuity Cover
    AIA Starter Plans
    GO Home Loans
    Join AIA
    Get Advice

    Copyright © 2022, AIA New Zealand Limited (Company Registration No: 352806), and its affiliates and subsidiaries. All rights reserved.
    Terms of Use | Privacy Statement | Cookie Policy | Duty of Disclosure

    This website uses cookies for the purpose of enhancing your user experience. You can find more information on the types of cookies we collect, what we use these for, and how to manage your cookie settings in our Cookie Policy and Privacy Statement.