Step Outdoors: Exploring the Therapeutic Benefits of Nature & Being Outside
6 minute read.
Crack the code to a happier, healthier life by simply stepping outside.
Our modern lives involve a great deal of intrusive stimulation. For example, when I go to the gym, I’m bombarded with 20+ television screens, most with troubling headlines. This overstimulation often raises my stress levels.
The natural world, however, can offer a mental refuge. In contrast to the televisions, curiosity extended toward bird songs or squirrels finding something to eat can hold our attention, without draining precious mental energy.
In this blog, we’ll explore how nature’s wonders can boost your mood, enhance your well-being, and transform your ability to be present.
Forest bathing
“Shinrin-yoku,” also known as “forest bathing,” is a way to conceptualize being outdoors. Forest bathing is a practice of therapeutic relaxation where one spends time in a forest or natural environment while focusing on sensory engagement to connect with nature.
The term shinrin-yoku emerged in Japan in the 1980’s. The purpose of the exercise was to combat the boom of technology and inspire residents to reconnect with and protect the country’s natural resources.
Japan quickly embraced this form of ecotherapy. In the 90’s, researchers began studying the physiological benefits of forest bathing, providing evidence to support what we tend to intuitively know: time spent in nature is good for us.
Physiological benefits
The article “Take a Walk in the Woods. Doctor’s Orders” shares, “Some small studies, many conducted in Japan and Korea, suggest that spending time in nature, specifically in lush forests, might decrease stress and blood pressure (especially in middle-aged men), improve heart-rate variability and lower cortisol levels while boosting one’s mood. An analysis of studies from 2010 that focused on exercising in nature found improvements in self-esteem, particularly among younger participants. Overall effects on mood were heightened when there was a stream or other body of water nearby.”
While some of the articles I link to mention forest bathing in beautiful faraway places, it doesn’t need to be complicated. Reaping the benefits can be as simple as going to your local park and finding a quiet space to unwind and tune in.
Here comes the sun
Exposing yourself to nature and sunlight is one of the simplest ways to improve your sleep. Getting outside for a few minutes each day, especially in the morning can (1) help you feel more tired at night, (2) shorten the time it takes to fall asleep, and (3) improve the overall quality of your sleep.
Circadian rhythm is the 24-hour internal clock in our brain that regulates cycles of alertness and sleepiness by responding to light changes in our environment. Typically, your body’s internal clock follows the sun, influencing you to feel awake during the daytime and sleepy at nighttime.
If you struggle with quality sleep and spend much of your day indoors, you may consider that although artificial light can mimic natural light, direct sunlight is approximately 200 times brighter than typical office lights. Thus, sunlight influences our circadian rhythm more than electric light. No prescription is needed for sunlight—the sleep-enhancing benefits of the sun are available to us simply by stepping outside.
Nature’s influence on immunity
Spending time outdoors can improve your immune system. Most microorganisms found in nature aren’t dangerous. You can think of it as if these beneficial microorganisms are running practice drills with your immune system, helping to boost your immunity to fight more serious infections.
If you live your life in a totally sterile environment, your immune system can lose its ability to recognize what is and isn’t dangerous like in the 2001 movie Bubble Boy. When your body is too sheltered, your immune system can perceive too much as threats and lead to chronic inflammation.
All this is to say, while soap is a wonderful invention, getting muddy once in a while is good for you too.
Connecting with nature can be simpler than you think
Like life, nature is not all bliss. Nature is unpredictable, and there are reasons some people have an aversion to it. For example, some struggle with allergies, concerns about bugs, snakes, or other animals, difficulty moving, and/or lack of access to nature.
There need not be an “all-or-nothing” approach to spending time outside. There are a variety of ways to spend time in nature. For example: sitting on a porch soaking in the sun, gardening, grounding your feet into the sand or grass, and feeling the wind on your face are all wonderfully simple ways to engage with nature.
What we “do” in nature is far less important than how we “are with” nature.
Beyond what’s captured clinically, consider for yourself, how do you feel when you spend time in nature.
“Doing” versus “being”
In his 1980 book, Existential Psychotherapy, psychotherapist Irvin Yalom writes, “The Westerner is analytical and objective and attempts to understand nature by dissecting and then subjugating and exploiting it. The Easterner is subjective, integrative, totalizing, and he attempts not to analyze and harness nature but to experience and harmonize with it. The contrast, then, is between a searching-action mode and a harmonizing-union one, and often is phrased in terms of ‘doing’ versus ‘being.’”
In trying to find the function of nature, we can see it as something to do rather than something to be with or a part of. If our eyes are on our phones rather than down at our feet or up toward the sky, can we still reap the benefits of being outside in nature? Sure. However, there’s something more to gain through being with nature rather than doing something to nature.
In a similar vein, we intuitively sense whether someone is connecting with us or relating to only what they can get from us. To be with nature means to appreciate it without needing anything from it.
Practicing mindfulness in nature
As a society, we have been taught to do multiple things at once—eat, listen, drive, watch television, read, and even parent. You get the idea. It’s rare for us to be mindful and to simply be with one thing at a time. To begin practicing mindfulness in nature, you may pause and consider:
What is your body doing while in nature?
Where are your hands?
Where are your feet?
Are they still or are they in motion?
If you place your hand on a tree, is the temperature colder than your hand or warmer?
As you drag your fingers across, is it smooth to the touch or not?
Mindfulness is a practice that increases compassion and curiosity while decreasing judgment. For a multitude of reasons, the ability to mindfully take in one’s surroundings with compassion and curiosity can prove difficult. If it feels challenging for you, therapy can support you in developing mindfulness skills.
Embracing nature’s mysticism and healing power
The therapeutic benefits of nature, as well as the salutary effects on our immune system and overall well-being are undeniable. From reducing stress and inflammation to boosting mood and enhancing immune function, spending time in natural environments offers profound advantages for our health and wellness.
Nature can remind us to look at the world with a childlike wonder. When we do so, planting a seed and transforming it into something like a tree is magical. Embracing nature's mysticism and healing power is not only a pathway to better health, but a reminder of our profound connection with the natural world.
Not sure where to start, you can google visit Bucks County Parks & Recreation’s website for recommendations like Peace Valley Park or google “hiking near me.”.
If you are seeking support for your mental health and/or are considering therapy, please contact or call us for a free 15-minute consultation at (215) 323-4244.
Hi, I’m Lexi!
I’m a licensed clinical social worker at Evergreen Counseling & Wellness. Read my bio to learn more about me and how I may help to provide support on your path to wellness.
