How Nature Reduces Your Anxiety 

The urbanization of society has produced several benefits. People often live closer together, creating a sense of connection and spurring innovation in technology.

However, there are also downsides. Modern life can be stressful, causing mental illness, anxiety, and depression.

Luckily, nature therapy is a wonderful way to alleviate these symptoms and feel better. But how does nature help us? Let’s answer that question and understand how to use nature to achieve a sense of calm.

Why Does Nature Calm Anxiety?

To answer that question, it’s important to understand how nature affects the brain. Stanford research has shown that a 90 minute walk in nature reduces “ruminations” (negative thoughts).

This is associated with reduced activity in the part of the brain called the subgenual prefrontal cortex (sgPFC). However, the same study found that a 90 minute walk in an urban environment did not produce the same benefits.

Therefore, the conclusion is clear: nature helps relieve stress.

How Does Nature Help Us?

Spending time in nature, or nature therapy, is helpful in several ways:

Feeling Connected

Nature therapy helps you feel more connected to your surroundings. As such, you won’t feel as alone or separated.

Reducing Anxiety

By focusing too much on things outside of your control, you can feel anxious. When in nature, you have another outlet to direct your focus. Thus, you clear your mind and anxious thoughts.

Feeling Grounded

When you are not grounded in nature, you can lose touch with your true purpose. Surrounding yourself with natural beauty helps you feel one with the universal energy that binds all living things.

Quieting Negative Thoughts

It’s hard to focus on negative things when you see a beautiful flower, or feel the cool breeze in the air. Sensing the nature in your environment brings your mind to the present, enjoying the beauty with all of your consciousness.

Increasing Empathy

Beauty creates a sense of calm and understanding. These traits are important for having empathy in a human-dominated world. With more empathy, you focus on serving and growing instead of your own flaws.

In short, nature heals anxiety by freeing your mind from the troubles of the urban world. You can bring your presence into nature to feel the natural rhythms and beauty that are always available to you.