Body Mind Connect

Healing Alongside Nature: How to Use Nature in Your Health Journey

Jun 18 / Sian Creswell

In our fast-paced and often overwhelming world, the healing power of nature offers a welcome respite that is both readily available and - importantly - scientifically validated. 

When you feel overwhelmed, it can feel hard to think about the different things you “need” to do to feel better. There is an intense pressure that surrounds us to be constantly doing something to heal ourselves, but sometimes we just don’t have the energy to do that list of things. 

That is where one of the most accessible tools comes in; the power of nature. 

Spending time in nature has been scientifically proven to reduce stress, improve mood, and promote attention and creativity. Time outdoors also improves your physical health too, with studies suggesting it can reduce blood pressure and resting heart rate [1]. Even short, regular interactions with nature such as sitting in green spaces can have restorative effects on both the mind and body.

With the seasons ever-changing, we will be looking at unique ways you can interact with nature each season. As we are based in the U.K this will be surrounding the northern hemisphere's seasons, but we would love to hear how you could adapt the practices to wherever you live. 

But let’s take a look at why it is important, why it works and what you can do to implement more nature into your day-to-day routines.  

The Science of Nature and Wellbeing

There is a lot of research that confirms what many have intuitively known for generations; nature is good for us. 

One piece of research examined nearly 20,000 people and found that those who spent at least 120 minutes per week in natural settings consistently reported better health and wellbeing, regardless of whether this time was achieved in one long session or multiple shorter visits. [2] 

Additionally, another study found that exposure to nature improved cognitive function, brain activity, blood pressure, mental health, physical activity, and sleep. It also concluded that adults who engage with green spaces report a better overall mood [3].

The benefits of nature aren’t just subjective feelings - they’re psychological and physiological changes. 

The Attention Restoration Theory 

The 'Attention Restoration Theory' explains how nature can help us recover from the mental overload. The theory suggests that engaging in nature is an important factor in restoring our mental focus and reducing our cognitive fatigue. 

The theory is particularly applicable to living in the highly stimulating modern world; where we are often expected to be always on, always alert and hypervigilant to a number of things, more so if we live in busier towns or cities. But this is also applicable if you are struggling with chronic conditions, always self-monitoring symptoms or worrying about what will happen next. These things leave us feeling depleted and lacking energy. 

The Attention Restoration Theory demonstrates how the natural environment can be used to alleviate some of our modern day problems, as nature tends to be rich in restorative experiences.  

Engaging in just 40 seconds of observing the sounds, sights, and texture of nature without distractions from everyday stressors can allow our brains to rest and recover from the mental overload of modern living.

How can you implement this into your life?

It’s one thing knowing that something is good for you, but another working to implement it into your day. This is made harder on the days where you might be struggling a bit more, if you’re having a symptoms flare-up or a poor mental health day. 

So to make this applicable to various energy levels, I’ve broken it down into some suggestions based on low and higher energy days. 

How to benefit from nature when you have low energy levels

  • Reflecting on nature - You can imagine what your ideal day spent in nature would look like and reflect on why. What type of place resonates with you and why do you think this is?
  • Connecting with birdsong - Find a spot where there is birdsong. Spend some time listening out for different types of song and rhythms. Be present with the sound and gently refocus if you find your mind wandering.
  • Watching the sunset - try and catch the sun setting, perhaps spending 10-20 minutes watching it set in the evening. Or rise if you’re up early that day. 
  • Window gazing - you don’t always have to go outside to feel the benefits of nature, why not try looking out the window intentionally at the natural world around you. Take some time to gaze out of the window at trees, birds, green spaces, any wildlife, or flowers. 
  • Watch the sky - look up to the sky, from inside or outside, and just notice the cloud formations, the way they move, the different shades of blues and whites for however long feels good to you 

How to benefit from nature when you have higher energy levels

  • Forest, woodland, or park bathing - Known to increase positive emotion, reduce rumination, and lower blood pressure, you only need a small area of woodland to feel the benefits. Spend at least 20 minutes walking or sitting amongst trees, taking in their colours, movement, patterns.
  • Sunrise or sunset trips - if you have the energy, why not travel to somewhere that is beautiful to catch the sunrise or sunset. Notice the daily transitions, the colours, the clouds or lack of. 
  • Sitting in the sun for 20 minutes, feeling the warmth on your skin. 
  • Getting out for a walk, even if for 20 minutes, outside. Notice the things that surround you. Perhaps try a colour walk - choose a colour and see how many things you notice in that colour 
  • Outdoor exercise classes, such as yoga, pilates or another exercise which you enjoy doing 

How to overcome barriers to connecting with nature 

Nature can sometimes feel like it is out of our reach, perhaps you are living in a city or town, and have less green spaces to enjoy. But, even in our increasingly urban world, there are ways to connect with nature all around us. 

Some of the ways to overcome barriers if you are in a town or city: 
  • Use local green spaces - Local parks - whether small or large - provide a great place to enjoy nature 
  • Bring nature indoors - Houseplants, nature sounds, and images can deliver some benefits
  • Schedule nature time - Block off calendar time for regular nature exposure
  • Start small - Even a 15-minute daily nature break can accumulate significant benefits
  • Don’t put pressure on - You can enjoy nature by looking up to the sky, the clouds or watching the birds, which can all be done from indoors. 

As always - the goal is never perfection. To enjoy nature, you don’t need to do a long journey to watch the sunset or sunrise, which leaves you feeling more depleted. Some days that might be exactly what you need, but other days perhaps looking out of the window at the clouds hits just the same. 

Connection with nature offers a powerful, accessible and evidence-based element to help with improving wellbeing. By incorporating regular, mindful nature experiences into our routines, we help our minds to be able to restore and recover from feelings of overwhelm. 

The next time you feel overwhelmed, try stepping outside, slowing down and connecting with the natural world. Notice how it feels, what comes up or what improves, and see if it is something you could implement more regularly. 

At Body Mind Connect, we do believe that true wellbeing comes from addressing both physical and psychological aspects of health. We help our members become aware of what is happening physically and psychologically, providing them with the knowledge and tools that can help them day-to-day improve their overall wellbeing. 

You can find out more about our membership here. 

References: 
[1] Loughborough University. (2025). How even just 15 minutes in nature can boost your wellbeing. [online] Available at: https://www.lboro.ac.uk/media-centre/press-releases/2025/january/how-short-time-in-nature-boost-wellbeing/.

[2] White, M.P., Alcock, I., Grellier, J. et al. Spending at least 120 minutes a week in nature is associated with good health and wellbeing. Sci Rep 9, 7730 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-44097-3
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[3] Jimenez, M., DeVille, N., Elliott, E., Schiff, J., Wilt, G., Hart, J. and James, P. (2021). Associations between Nature Exposure and Health: a Review of the Evidence. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, [online] 18(9). doi:https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18094790

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