Can a Walk in Nature Really Help Your Anxiety?

Ecotherapy for mental health has increasingly been adopted during recent years. It is quite popular among clients who find it more enjoyable than a traditional therapy format in an office.

Unlike conventional therapy sessions held indoors, ecotherapy takes place outdoors and follows a different rhythm. Clients and therapists walk together, talk more freely, and let conversations flow naturally. The relaxed environment helps reduce stress and creates a comfortable space for emotional healing.

This is not just because things are more spontaneous or less formal; outdoor therapy for anxiety actually helps. It’s a fact backed up by science. People who spend time in greenery are less stressed out than individuals who don’t.

Let’s dive a bit deeper into how this works.

Nature Therapy For Anxiety

Therapy in nature for stress relief can work wonders for your mental health. It has shown positive effects not only on anxiety and depression, but also on more complex conditions like dementia, ADHD, or patients who are in the recovery phase of surgery.

It speeds up their healing process while improving their emotional temperament, which is usually on the rocks after such physical challenges. When you are stressed, hormones like cortisol and adrenaline can weaken your immune system and slow down the healing process.

Studies show that people who spend time in greenery have lower stress levels than individuals in urban settings. It’s not only linked to the calming effect of the color green itself, but from a combination of factors found in natural settings.

How does outdoor therapy help anxiety?

When you are surrounded by plants and trees, the percentage of oxygen in the air is higher. This allows your brain to get more oxygen than it would in an urban setting. This, in turn, refreshes your senses and helps improve your focus. Thanks to nature’s appealing aesthetics, you become willingly aware of your surroundings and present in the moment, instead of stressing about the past or worrying about the future.

Nature also helps reduce cortisol and adrenaline levels. Sunlight acts as a natural antidepressant and increases vitamin D intake, which can act as a mood booster (especially in winter). There is also an influx of happy hormones in your bloodstream like endorphins and serotonin. These are released during pleasurable experiences and also help regulate your circadian rhythm.

During stress, nature has an opposite effect on your nervous system, by activating the parasympathetic nervous system. It puts your body in a “rest and digest mode”, suppressing adrenaline and cortisol. This shift helps your body relax, lowering your heartbeat as well as your digestive system, which churns out more sugar than necessary.

What are the best types of nature therapy for anxiety?

Besides walk and talk therapy, there are several types of therapy you can practice outdoors:

Forest Bathing

Shinrin Yoku is an ancient Japanese technique for releasing stress and practicing mindfulness. You don’t need a therapist for Shinrin Yoku. All you need to do is find a peaceful spot in the forest, take a deep breath, and be one with the surroundings.

Engage your senses with different triggers in the environment, whether it’s the chirping of the birds or the smell of grass, or the touch of the trunk beneath your fingers. The goal is to take things really slow, where you can stand up, sit down, or walk around at a low pace, to give yourself time to become one with the forest.

Horticultural Therapy

If you enjoy gardening, you might really like horticultural therapy because that’s exactly what it is! This method focuses on taking care of a lot of plants, as the hobby is a known stress reliever. This type of nature therapy is mostly used at rehabilitation centers and elderly care, since it doesn’t require much physical exertion and is quite calming.

Animal Assisted Nature Therapy For Anxiety

Animals aren’t only good for petting or cuddling; they can prove to be great companions in your mental health journey. You don’t have to try nature therapy alone or even necessarily with another person. You can take a little furry friend to keep yourself company. People suffering from trauma or grief find this type of therapy especially effective, where the animals are trained not to leave your side. The furry pal could be a horse, cow, or dog, whatever you prefer; if properly trained, it won’t leave your side.

Blue Mind Therapy

Apart from green therapy for anxiety, water-based environments are also quite relaxing to the human mind. Blue mind therapy refers to the peace one acquires by being in the presence of water.

Find a spot close to a lake, river, or the beach and do anything that brings peace to your mind. This could be walking along the shore, fishing, or simply sitting and listening to the gentle lapping of water against its natural boundaries. You will feel the change within yourself in a matter of minutes.

Conclusion

Outdoor counseling sessions have given us a refreshing take on what it means to engage in therapy. You don’t need to be secluded in an office anymore, an environment that can be intimidating. Many therapists are now providing both indoor and outdoor therapy for their clients, because they are aware of its benefits. Not only does it help reduce general depression and anxiety, but it can also prove effective for patients dealing with more serious issues.

Even if you are not opting to engage in therapy, try to set small breaks into your routine where you will be reconnecting with nature. You don’t always have to take the extra mile and head for the mountains to get close to nature. You can stroll through a park close to you and be mindful to your surroundings.

This may not be applicable for everyone, and some patients require medical attention and traditional therapy, at least initially, before they are ready to take outdoor counseling sessions.

However, generally speaking, spending time in nature is good for both our physical and mental health. It also adds much-needed refreshment to our otherwise mundane routines, so a few minutes for your well-being won’t hurt, will it?

Therapy in Florida, Idaho, South Carolina, and Utah

At Calming Transformations Counseling, our therapists understand how difficult it can be to manage anxiety, stress, depression, and relationship issues. We can help through walk and talk therapy in Hillsborough County, Florida, or online therapy in Florida, Idaho, South Carolina, or Utah. Remember, your mental health is important—take the time to care for yourself.