Nature therapy, is a type of mental health therapy that involves spending time in nature to reduce mental health symptoms and boost your overall wellbeing. Do you think walking in nature can help improve your mental mood?
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What is Nature Therapy?
Nature therapy is the practice of being in nature to boost your mental health an overall wellbeing.
What are the different names for Nature Therapy?
- Ecotherapy
- Forest Therapy
- Green Therapy
- Sami Lok
- Shinrin-Yoku
Nature Therapy | Grounding – Earthing
There are many grounding methods but the easiest method is simply walking barefoot. You can walk on grass, dirt and even sand. The focus is to allow the soles of your feet or skin to touch the natural ground so it can provide you with grounding energy.
Benefits of Nature Therapy
- Increases Happiness
- Increases Mood
- Decreases Anxiety
- Decreases Stress
- Decreases Depression
- Sunshine = Vitamin D
- Fresh Air
- Improves Physical Health
- Improves Mental Health
- Promotes Better Sleep
How Does Nature Therapy Help?
Research suggests that spending time in natural environments can be linked to mental health benefits. Being in a green space has been linked to less anxiety, fewer depression symptoms, and lower stress levels. Spending time in nature helps people with depression and kids with attention problems think more clearly. – WebMD
How to make time for Nature Therapy?
- Check the weather
- Pick a Place
- Pick a Time
- GO! You just have to do it
Examples Of Nature Therapy
- A walk in the park
- A stroll in the garden
- Sitting in the grass in your backyard
- Hiking into the mountains
- Searching for waterfalls
- Walking by a stream
- Sitting by a tree
- Doing some gardening
While doing some of the examples above
Take a PAUSE from the chaos of the world to observe the sky, the trees, the plants and all thing growing from the earth. Notice the small and big animals roaming around. PAUSE and remember that before technology, We use to roam the world as humans closely connecting with nature and relying on your own instinct. If we PAUSE and listen, nature can be our guide.
Great phone app for hikers
AllTrails has the largest collection of detailed, hand-curated trail maps so you can hit the trail with confidence. Anytime. Anywhere. Wherever you might be, quickly find the perfect hike, bike ride, or trail run by length, rating, and difficulty level. Filter by dog or kid friendly trails, or find trails with great views. Turn your phone into a GPS tracker and follow your trail so you donโt get lost. Record your pace, distance, elevation, and max speed, and share your adventures with friends and family.
How can I connect with nature using Nature Therapy?
One way you can connect with nature
When walking around in nature, admire the sun, feel the sun hitting your skin, observe the plants growing, observe the plants dying, observe the trees, the bark of the trees, how tall the tree is, the root of the trees, the suns rays passing through the branches of trees as you walk. If you are having the urge to sit someplace or touch something, do so. Take some deep inhales and exhales to oxygenate your brain. After you have completed your nature walk. Close your eyes. Feel your pulse. Close with gratitude affirmation.
GRATITUDE AFFIRMATIONS
I AM GRATEFUL FOR MY HEART
I AM GRATEFUL FOR MY BODY
I AM THANKFUL FOR MY LIFE
I AM THANKFUL FOR TODAY
How To Utilize Nature Therapy While Working Indoors
5 minutes in a nature setting can HELP improve your mood.
On lunch breaks, make it a priority to break outside. Workplaces nowadays have nice courtyards, outdoor cafeteria seating or benches located around the building. Use those to your advantages. Take all or just 5 minutes of your break to PAUSE and go outside and take some breaths. There are 24 hours in a day. You can take 5 minutes out of the day to PAUSE for yourself.
MINI TASK
Go outside on your lunch breaks for a week. After you have taken you Pause. Observe the people that go outside on their break vs the people that stay in the break room.
- Excluded the smokers
Do you notice a difference in the staff that go outside vs the staff that stays inside ?
