Spend Time in Nature to Reduce Stress and Anxiety
Keep Outside in Mind for Less Stress
Spending time in nature can help relieve stress and anxiety, improve your mood, and boost feelings of happiness and wellbeing. Whatever you call it – forest bathing, ecotherapy, mindfulness in nature, or the wilderness cure — humans evolved in the great outdoors, and your brain benefits from a journey back to nature.
Get Out
Have you been feeling down lately? A little sluggish, stressed out, or maybe wondering, “What’s life all about?” Here’s another question: How much time have you spent in nature lately? The answer to these two questions might be more closely related than you’d think. The modern way we live has changed radically from life in the savanna, but our brains have mostly stayed the same. We still have a deep connection with nature, and research shows that if we don’t nourish that bond despite our technological advancements, we may suffer in many ways.
Feel Better
If you’re able to, get back to nature to energize your mind and body.
Depressed: If you’re feeling blue, try going outside to green, natural spaces. A stroll in the woods has been shown to help combat depression, and even just the view of the forest from a hospital room helps patients who are feeling down. Head for the hills if you need a boost to your mood.
Stressed: Nature presents scenes that gently capture your attention instead of suddenly snatching it, calming your nerves instead of frazzling them.
Anxious: You probably know that exercise is good for your state of mind. But did you know that working out in nature helps to reduce anxiety, among other benefits, more than going to an indoor gym? Consider hitting some trails to get the best mental bang for your buck.
Self-Involved: If you dwell on your problems and just can’t stop, a walk through a meadow might put the brakes on the thought train circling through your head. Research shows that a 90-minute walk in nature lowers activity in the part of the brain linked to negative rumination.
Fatigued: Are you constantly multitasking at work as you switch between customers and phone calls, or click from spreadsheets to presentations? Even at home, you might face a combination of kids, chores, and devices vying for your attention. Your prefrontal cortex can only take so much distraction before it needs a recharge. Luckily, time in nature has been shown to restore mental abilities like short-term memory and processing 3D images based on drawings.
Uninspired: Changing the scenery is a great way to get the creative juices flowing, and nature offers stimuli that you won’t find while staring at a screen. In one example, spending four days in nature improved problem-solving skills by 50%. If you haven’t found a way to tackle that next big project at work or an obstacle impeding your personal goals, try noodling on it in the great outdoors.
Antisocial: Time in nature can help with your personal relationships, too. Natural beauty results in more prosocial behaviors, like generosity and empathy.
Disconnected: A basic human need is to feel that you belong and you’re part of a larger tribe. Studies show that this concept goes beyond human relationships alone. Time in nature results in a sense of belonging to the wider world that is vital for mental health.
Angsty: At times, you might feel lost, and begin to wonder what life is all about. A dose of awe might remind you just how wondrous the world is. Nature provides trees that were hundreds of years old before you were even born, towering mountains that touch the clouds and a sky full of uncountable stars. When it comes to awe-inspiring awesomeness, nature leaves our jaws dropping and spines tingling, and rekindles the realization that we’re a tiny part of an incredible universe. What’s more powerful than that?
Consider seeing a mental health professional if your symptoms are serious, but if you’re feeling a tinge of any of the blues listed above, try something like:
- Add a daily walk on a local hiking trail or greenway to your regimen.
- Go on a bike ride around your neighborhood.
- Just take time outside doing something you may typically do inside—like reading or yoga.
Written by American Heart Association editorial staff, reviewed by science and medicine advisers. Edits/Additions by Susan Perry, CommonHealth