Nature Rx: The Connection Between the Outdoors and Our Mental Health

Bird on a branch RX Nature

Photo by Mark Olsen on Unsplash

The days are getting longer,

The warmth of the sun is starting to touch our skin,

And that familiar chill
left over from winter is lessening and beckoning us to venture outside more…

I reflected that this would be a good time of year to write about the link between our mental and physical health and how we can improve both by engaging with nature.

I’m a big fan of nature and the benefits it serves. Even just the feeling of my sunroof open in my car can elevate my mood from blah to zen. Now that’s not necessarily nature, but I state that to point out that when we engage with the outdoors with our senses - whether that’s wooded, urban, paved walking trails, OR even looking outside our window at a tree with a bird sitting in it - we are activating a level of calm and mindfulness needed within our blue-screen filled existences.

I saw a funny meme recently that stated something to the effect:

“If everyone on Tinder who said they enjoyed hiking in their profile was actually out on the hiking trails– they would be packed!”

It led me to ponder why so many people do say they enjoy hiking - whether they do it or not. I guess we'll never really know the answer unless I set out on some major research.

Informally, I think that people are naturally drawn to nature because of its presentation of peace, presence, and maybe some sort of biological instinct we all crave. If you engage in some nature imagery - where you picture an outdoor scene of your liking - what comes to mind? What do you feel in your body? Can you close your eyes and be transported there? Stop and try engaging in this for a minute. Hopefully – all pleasant and relaxing thoughts and images. Now just imagine what your body can experience when you are actually immersed in nature.

Leaves on a Stream

In Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (a therapy modality I often subscribe to in my therapy work), there is a lot of skill dedicated to visualizing unhelpful thoughts and imagining them drifting away - acknowledging and not fighting them. One common technique is called “leaves on a stream”-- you visualize placing your unhelpful thoughts on leaves as they gently flow down a quiet stream. There happen to be tons of YouTube content out there with guided imagery so you don’t even have to leave your house to engage with the visuals of “leaves on a stream”-- which is wonderful, but also limiting.

I’m reminded of a time my partner and I were hiking on a warmer February day. While we were waiting for the couple we would be hiking with to show up, we ventured down a stream near our parking spot. I remember it had been a particularly stressful week and I actually got to practice “leaves on a stream” for 3-5 minutes with actual leaves on a stream.

The difference. The sounds. The smells. Any sensory experience is going to be that much more profound.

create your own relationship with nature

I used to explore nature a lot as a child and naturally fell away from it as college and more urban settings seemed appealing. In my later adult life, I got back into hiking, biking, kayaking, meandering down paths, sitting by the ocean/any body of water, etc., and can honestly say nature has shown up for me in ways that I never appreciated when I was younger.

When I was getting back into hiking I felt intimidated by people who said they were ‘hikers’ because I personally thought this was an association to some superhuman feat. Like I could only hike if I had the gear and the compass, and the long armpit hair and the trail mix ready to go.

If we are talking about hiking in specific, I will say for any non-hikers reading this–hiking is just walking in nature. You don’t need fancy shoes (although they do help, but sneakers will do the job) or trek poles. Maryland and surrounding states have so many great trails for all levels.

My advice - create your own relationship with nature. What does nature mean to you? And what does it mean to your community?

one prescription for nature, ready for pickup!

Group of friends embracing on hill RX Nature

Photo by Helena Lopes on Unsplash

I saw a recent news story where doctors were giving their patients “prescriptions” to engage with nature as part of their treatment - for not only physical concerns but mainly for mental health concerns.

It reminded me too familiarly of the 90’s slapstick comedy, “What about Bob?” where Richard Dreyfus’ character (an up and coming published psychotherapist) is trying to get his client, Bill Murray, off his back and writes him a prescription to “take a vacation from your problems”. This consequently changes Murray’s character’s outlook without intention. I digress.

But it leads me to the research that physicians are seeing about how integral nature, movement, and connection with our outside world can impact our mental health in profound ways. More importantly in a post-pandemic world where screens are our lifeline to work, play, dating, connection, and basically anything we can think of. Why not set our sights (literally) on something off the screen when we can?

The American Psychological Association put out research in 2020 pointing to all of the benefits of connecting with green and blue (aquatic) spaces - whether that’s within an isolated wooded area with lots of biodiversity, or within an urban setting like a man-made park. Advantages in cognitive abilities, mood stabilization and improvement, and emotional state were all cited as the benefits of connecting with nature. Read the full article here.

So what are the take-aways when it comes to exploring nature and your needs?

1) Find your connection to nature.

Know your personal limits and what you are looking for. My clients will often hear me hitting my drum to: small amounts of time is more than enough. Especially when you are starting out with something new. It’s more sustainable in the long run.

This could look like a 10 minute walk around your neighborhood with no earbuds and just noticing all of your senses. This could look like setting a reminder to look out your office window at some green space (trees, grass, etc.) a couple times a day. This could mean eating your lunch outdoors on a nice day 1-2 times a week. It could also mean finding an easy walking path or new trail you would like to check out. “AllTrails” is an excellent app (and personal favorite) that you can use to find trails based on your experience level, length, location, etc.

2) Find your connection to nature with another

couple overlooking a river rx nature

Photo by Ivana Cajina on Unsplash

Using examples from above, but add in your partner or a close friend. What can you explore together? Can our couples out there reading this use nature as a connection point? Take your dates out of the restaurant and into nature.

For more experienced nature-goers or hikers- try a silent, mindful hike with your partner. Or even just sitting at a park and people watching together. See what you notice together when you are engaging the five senses together but separately. Agree to stop part way through and check-in to add a layer of intimacy. And I might add that the quiet woods are a perfect make-out spot. Just saying.

3) Change your language

Oftentimes when we can get caught up in the whole culture of exercise and fitness– hiking and nature-going will get lumped in there too. Can you change your language around exercise and invite in more gentle words like movement, engagement, mindfulness, or motion?

For me, I want to make exercise something I will come back to, so movement is so much less daunting. And nature is a place where I don’t have to feel the pressures of living up to anyone’s expectations but my own. What would be a more helpful language for you when you think about engaging with nature? And take breaks- move at your own pace. I always seem to find a tree stump, a log, or a bench when I need to stop and breathe.

4) set a goal

Set a goal today that involves some interaction with nature. Start small. Remember that Mother Earth is there for us and remember to take care of her in return in all the ways we learned in elementary school- recycle, reuse, reduce.. As the National Park Service promotes, “Leave No Trace”.

Diana is currently accepting new couples and individuals in Baltimore, MD and surrounding areas. Diana has a passion for helping her clients (couples and individuals alike) seek connection with themselves and others.

She currently is available Monday-Thursday with morning, afternoon, and some early evening time slots available.

Please reach out to schedule a complimentary 15-minute phone consultation with her to see if you are a good therapeutic fit.