The “noise” and bustle of everyday life can take a toll on mental and emotional health. Sometimes, the best respite for quieting that sense of being overwhelmed can be found in nature. Simply sitting in silence can allow you to clear your mind, refocus your energy, and recenter yourself. In this guide, we discuss how to improve health in partnership with nature.
Why Are We Stressed?
Between 24-hour news cycles, phones, and smartwatches connected to us at all hours, and a never-ending bombardment of social media, Psychology Today says it’s easy to feel lost1 inside your own mind. Studies show that people who spend a significant amount of time online are subject to higher levels of anxiety and depression, and have an overall higher level of dissatisfaction with their own lives. Even when we know this, it can still be hard to escape. Almost every element of our lives today revolves around technology in one shape or form. To truly reset requires a tech-free approach.
How to Start
Detoxing from the modern world and learning how to make the most of the benefits of nature doesn’t happen overnight. You might feel a need to stay connected at all times for work, for family needs, or for knowing where your kids are and if they need you. Start by removing social media apps from your phone or setting parameters around how much time you’ll allocate to it each day. If you work from home and need to be virtually connected, set work hours2 and use only the tech you need; Resist the urge to keep multiple browsers open; they can be distracting and deflating.
Start Going for Walks
Whether first thing in the morning or the early evening, get outside. Walk3 around your neighborhood or walk in a local park. Don’t use earbuds and quiet your phone – don’t even let it vibrate. As you walk, pay attention to the sounds around you and your own breathing – nothing else. This will start to put you into a “walking meditative” Zen state of mind. Listen to the wind and the birds. Let your mind drift. If intrusive thoughts peek in, acknowledge them and send them on their way with no further thought.
Download a Trails App
One way to make the most of the benefits of nature is to find a trail app on your phone and start looking4 for beautiful natural places to walk within close proximity to your home. Commit to trying a new trail every week. Start easy and commit to working your way up to more challenging ones. You’ll soon start to recognize places of particular beauty that you’re drawn to. Sit in solitude at least once along your trail walk and simply breathe. Envision the stress melting away from you. Feel the strength in your body as you continue to push yourself to new levels.
Find an Experience in Nature
Forest therapy combines meditative practices with becoming one with nature by immersing you in a natural environment, such as a forest. The practice is based on research that indicates exposure to nature has a variety of physical and mental health benefits, including better heart and immune function, improved focus, and mood elevation. Forest therapy walks and retreats can be found around the globe.
During these retreats, you’ll have a chance to commune with other like-minded people and learn new skills for allowing immersion in nature to help ease your anxiety, depression, and stress. Give yourself over to the practice; the things you learn on a forest therapy retreat will help you maintain a sense of natural serenity when you’re back in the “real world.” If you’re curious to learn more about different walks and retreats that are available, please click here.
If you’re interested in becoming a Forest Therapy Guide, The Association of Nature and Forest Therapy is a great resource. ANFT trainings offers skills you need to become a guide so you can help bring people into deeper intimacy with natural places. In addition, there are numerous health benefits attributed to forest therapy including boosted immune function, improved cardiovascular and respiratory health, attention restoration, and a reduction in stress and depression. Visit the site to learn more!
Embrace Opportunities for Natural Healing
If you begin exploring how to make the most of the benefits of nature, you’re likely to find a number of ways to get back to nature on a regular basis and disconnect from the stresses of everyday life. Maybe it’s outdoor5 yoga or tai chi classes; perhaps you join a hiking club, look for rejuvenating hot springs, or find local spiritual retreats that combine meditative practices with nature. Consider creating a Zen garden in your own yard where you can sit in quiet reflection on a daily basis. Whatever you connect with, look for ongoing ways to stay connected.
Go Camping (or Glamping)
Find a beautiful and safe place to go camping and minimize the distractions of technology. If you can go alone safely, do so; if you enjoy the company of others on your outdoor adventures, bring friends and family. Everyone should be of like-mind about how the camping trip will be spent, whether it’s playing board games around a fire, singing campfire songs, taking a boat on a lake, or stargazing in silence. Plan leisurely walks alone or in small groups. Breathe deep and soak in the healing energies of nature.
Naturalize Your Home
When we’re stuck indoors – either via working from home, pandemic concerns, or inclement weather – the walls that surround us can feel suffocating. Open your blinds or curtains and clean your windows inside and out. Open the windows and doors whenever you can and use a fan to circulate fresh air throughout your home. Replace silk plants with live greenery6. Cook and eat outside when you can! Plant a garden or flowers – tending to them will keep you outside on a regular basis.
Take a Natural Vacation
If your budget permits, there are many natural retreats and vacation destinations around the globe that are built around connectivity to nature. You might bathe in the forest, sleep in the jungle, or get a massage on a beach. This type of low-tech reset can help you make the most of the benefits of nature by putting you in a brand-new state of mind so when you come back to your everyday life, you’ll not only feel refreshed, but you will have healthy new ways to cope with daily stresses. You may find you eat better, exercise more, and sleep better!
According to the American Psychological Association, while Mother Earth most certainly has her own spiritual healing properties, if you’re suffering from severe depression or anxiety, it’s essential that you seek help7 from a licensed mental health care provider. Your primary care provider can help. You’ll also want to be practical and use caution on your outdoor retreats, particularly those that are solo – let people know where you are going and keep a communication device on you, even if it’s not in use.
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1 https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/how-be-yourself/201803/how-technology-makes-us-anxious
2 https://www.zenbusiness.com/blog/how-to-relieve-stress-while-working-from-home/
3 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6064756/
4 https://www.wellplannedjourney.com/best-hiking-apps/
5 https://www.advancedneurotherapy.com/blog/2015/09/10/walking-outside-brain
6 https://www.ecowatch.com/health-benefits-of-having-plants-at-home-2608386260.html
7 https://www.apa.org/monitor/2020/04/nurtured-nature