The right medication and therapy are powerful tools for mental health, but that doesn’t mean that other interventions are unimportant. One of the best things you can do, aside from taking your meds and showing up for your appointments, is to get outside. At Cottonwood, in Tucson, Arizona, we encourage our patients to spend some time in nature as part of their treatment and self-care.
How Nature Improves Mental Health
Studies have found that going outside decreases risk for and symptoms of:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- ADHD
- PTSD
- Schizophrenia
- Substance use disorders
- High blood pressure
- Obesity
- Eating disorders
Specifically, spending time in a green space or near water can:
- Reduce stress and enhance mood
- Alleviate psychological distress
- Improve focus
- Enhance quality of life
- Improve sleep
- Enhance social interaction and boost self esteem
- Improve immune system functioning
- Lower blood pressure
- Decrease aggression
Studies seem to indicate that two hours per week makes a difference for health and well-being, but more is even better. Nature is especially beneficial to children.
What “Counts” as Nature?
You don’t have to travel to the wilderness or the ocean (though that would definitely meet the criteria) to get your time in nature. It’s more important to get frequent outdoor time, which can occur by:
- Visiting a local park or garden
- Taking a bike ride
- Walking barefoot on some grass
- Photographing nature
- Foraging for food, but use caution to correctly identify plants, as some toxic and safe plants closely resemble each other.
- Playing or meditating outside
- Camping, swimming, boating, or hiking
- Sitting under a tree
- Planting a garden in your yard
- Creating a container garden on your deck or patio, if you don’t have yard space
- Sitting or walking near a lake or river
- Volunteering with animals
What if I Can’t Get Outside?
Sometimes the weather, mobility limitations, urban living, or mental health symptoms don’t make it easy to get outside. You can still get some benefit from:
- Bringing nature indoors with plants to purify your air and add a touch of green
- Listening to recordings of nature sounds like birds, rain, and waterfalls
- Putting out a bird feeder and observing the wildlife it attracts from your window
- Displaying images of nature inside your home
- Spending time with a pet
- Engaging in visualization exercises that involve imagining natural settings
- Opening your curtains and windows
Staying Safe in Nature
Some precautions should be taken when engaging in outdoor activities, especially if you’ll be alone or in a remote area:
- Let someone know where you will be
- Be aware of the expected weather conditions and plan accordingly
- Choose clothing and shoes suited to the terrain and your planned activities
- Be aware of your surroundings
- Have your phone charged, in case you need to call for help
- Carry water to avoid dehydration
- Apply sunscreen and insect repellent if needed
- If you’re not used to exercising, gradually work your way up to intense and lengthy hikes, bike rides, etc.
Nature as Therapy
While you can obviously use nature as a self-care activity outside of a therapeutic setting, there are now clinicians who specialize in ecotherapy, the practice of using nature within professional mental health treatment. This is highly customizable and can look like:
- Adventure therapy: Rock climbing, rafting, or other high-intensity physical activity
- Animal-based therapies: Equine therapy, visiting a farm to engage with animals, or utilizing a therapy animal in an office setting.
- Arts and crafts: Using natural materials to create a craft or traveling to a natural setting like a forest or a field to make art.
- Conservation: Working to preserve natural spaces.
- Outdoor exercise: Running, hiking, or riding a bike in a green space.
- Therapeutic horticulture: Gardening for mental health.
These activities may occur in one-on-one or group sessions or even independently, under the guidance of an ecotherapist. It is typically required that people keep their phones put away during their ecotherapy time and use the opportunity to slow down and appreciate the beauty of their surroundings.
At Cottonwood, we offer holistic treatment that addresses the needs of the mind, body, and spirit. We seek to restore balance, peace, and strength for our clients, in every part of their lives.
