People Who Spend More Time In Nature Often Notice These 3 Wildly Calming Effects
Hannah Lazar | Unsplash In today's uncertain, divided environment, it’s no surprise you might feel anxious about life. It's all too easy to get caught up in anxious thoughts, worry about the future, and play out worst-case scenarios in your head.
The good news is that it doesn’t have to be this way. You can develop practices that put the mind at ease, release tension, and break the cycle of daily concerns, stress, and anxiety.
Nature, in particular, offers innumerable opportunities to take a break from a troubled mind. Simple, amazing ways can help you take advantage of nature's gift and ease your worries.
People who spend time in nature often notice a few calming effects:
1. Nature engages your senses
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Whether you live near forests with creeks and trails, in a suburban neighborhood, or overlooking a gritty urban cityscape, nature is abundant if you look for it.
Find your nature place, a spot where you can be present with your natural surroundings: a tree, a leaf, a flower growing out of a crack in the sidewalk, a blade of grass. Engage all your senses.
First, allow your vision to soften as you take in the shape of the tree, the colors of the leaf, the light reflecting off the flower, or the texture of dew on the blade of grass.
Then, while still taking in the image, listen to the surrounding sounds, focusing on what you find pleasant. Even seek out the silence between the sounds. Spend a few moments being mindful of sounds and silence.
See how many of your senses you can involve in the process, engaging touch, taste, and smell, if possible. If you do this daily, you may find the delight it brings naturally softens worry, even if only for a moment.
2. Nature helps you practice mindful witnessing
Mindful presence helps you to slow down and relax the nervous system, calming anxiety and stress. You can use mindful presence in nature to get a double-whammy of goodness.
Find a pleasant experience in nature, one that brings you joy. It can be a butterfly flying, branches moving in the wind, the shape of clouds, or birds chirping.
Make it a daily practice to stop and take 20 seconds to absorb the experience. Really take in the butterfly flitting around, the branches swaying, or the variation in the bird calls.
Add an intention, such as, “I release all worry of what I have no control over.” By combining mindful awareness and intention, you give your mind new calming thoughts to focus on, rather than repetitive stress thoughts.
Over time, you may notice that a daily practice of 20-second mindful, intentional nature breaks can powerfully shape your perspective and well-being.
3. Nature grounds you
If you have ever sunk your feet in the sand at the beach or walked on the grass with your shoes off at a park, you know the pleasure of your feet making contact with the earth.
Touching your bare feet to the ground is quite literally known as "grounding." Grounding can have innumerable benefits, from calming your nervous system to increasing your sense of well-being.
Researchers found that grounding contributed to a reduction in the stress hormone cortisol, which resulted in better sleep, improved moods, and a reduction in anxiety, stress, and depression.
So, the next time you are near a patch of grass, a bit of sand, or even a muddy lawn or dirt, go for it and ground yourself. These are just a few ways you can connect with nature to ease anxiety. Try one and see how you feel. Your mind will thank you.
Angela Luna, LMFT, is a seasoned trauma-informed expressive arts therapist and creative wellness coach who uses an integrative approach to help clients transform old patterns into new possibilities.
