Get outside, feel better: How Time Outdoors Boosts Mental Wellbeing
I am aware that as a therapist working with trauma, I am vulnerable to developing second-hand trauma, or compassion fatigue – the emotional and psychological aftermath of listening to numerous stories of loss and hardship. A big part of being able to provide good care for my clients is to take care of my own emotional and physical needs. I know that a long walk on a beach, a hike in a forest, or working in my flower garden recharges me and makes me feel grounded and calm.
Recent decades have seen an increasing interest in the healing and therapeutic potential of nature and the perspective of various nature-based interventions for the benefit of mental health. The field of nature-based therapies is expanding, and a growing body of research points toward the positive benefits of connecting psychotherapy with nature. Several different studies support the efficacy of using nature in therapy, including one performed by Mind, a mental health organization. Mind researched a group of people with clinical depression who were prescribed mindful walks. Nature walks reduced symptoms of depression in 71% of participants, compared to only 45% of those who took a walk through a shopping center.
Stanford researchers have documented actual changes in brain activity from people walking in nature versus walking the same amount of time on a busy city street. The more we turn to nature across our lifetimes, the longer and more profound the positive effects are. A growing body of research demonstrates that many mental health problems are either triggered or exacerbated by a lack of nature contact and are often helped by having increased exposure to nature. Our detachment from nature is literally making us ill. Depression, anxiety, stress, restlessness, and a sense of meaninglessness can be tied to a lack of engagement with forests, fields, rivers, lakes, and mountains. Many therapists notice that their clients have more restorative experiences when surrounded by nature rather than human-made environments. These steps in combining nature and mental health treatment suggests that there is room for more integration of nature-based experiences.
The beauty and mystery of the natural world promote the sense that nothing real is ever happening other than what is unfolding right now. It is an idea fundamental to many mediation practices – that in any given moment, nothing could be other than it is. The very idea of being still and quiet can be a little scary at first, often uncomfortable. Many clients report that with practice they start looking forward to the times of stillness and connection to nature and repost the reduction in anxiety and rumination. Quiet time in nature lets us be in a deeper play with the world. Peace and healing live beyond the chatter and busyness of everyday life.
Natasha Busscher, MS LPC
