Reducing your stress, depression, and anxiety is as easy as stepping outside. Natural environments provide the peace of mind needed for inner peace. Immersing oneself in natural spaces is a healthy habit anyone can introduce into their daily routine.
What Are the Benefits of Being in Nature?
Nature is a healthy environment. However, if you live in a city, you are constantly bombarded by sights and sounds. The persistent stimuli grab your brain’s attention, holding it captive. You don’t have anything that provides relief or distraction from the activity surrounding you.
This perpetual loop of stimuli can fatigue your brain while increasing the risk of mental health disorders like depression or anxiety. Unfortunately, you may not know how to find a break from your fast-paced, technology-driven world. As a result, your mental and physical health can suffer from the need to always be connected and active.
Can Nature Restore My Inner Peace?
According to the American Psychological Association’s article “Nurtured by Nature,” spending time in nature can help heal your brain’s cognitive function because you are away from the constant demands of your work and personal life. Whether you’re walking, hiking, swimming, or lying on the beach, the scent and sounds of nature can give you the perception of vastness. You may notice you feel connected to the environment when you spend time enjoying your favorite outdoor activity.
The scents found in nature can also increase feelings of happiness and peace. As you relax into the sights and sounds of nature, your mind can resist the temptation to overthink events or situations. Less time spent over-thinking can reduce feelings of depression or anxiety.
The time you spend outside can also increase your ability to focus on tasks. Because you gave your mind a break, you also had time to assess and process what is going on in your life. When you’re busy with an outdoor activity, your focus is on what you’re doing, but that doesn’t mean your brain isn’t also finding creative solutions to issues you’re encountering in other areas of your life. Being in nature unleashes the creative side of your brain.
How Can I Find Adventure in the Outdoors?
If you are struggling with a mental health disorder, adventure therapy can help. Stepping outside for a few minutes is a healthy source of psychological and physical well-being. The act of removing yourself from consistent input means your brain can unplug.
Whether you’re in a green space – a park, forest, or your backyard – or enjoying time near or on the water, the healing effects of nature afford your mind the break it needs from the demands of your life. Why? Nature has a relaxing effect. Being away from the fast-paced world of responsibilities creates a feeling of slowing time down. Instead of worrying about the past or future, you can focus on the present.
Adventure therapy includes nature-based activities. You can explore healthy alternatives to harmful habits because you’re outside participating in a team, building trust, and engaging in problem-solving.
Nature has a way of healing your mind and body. When you step away from the constant demands of your fast-paced, technology-driven life, you give your brain a rest. Through adventure therapy, you can learn to relax, focus on the present, and solve problems. A welcome way to explore the many benefits of adventure therapy is to participate in outdoor activities while in treatment. The Guest House’s serene 52-acre estate near Ocala allows you to relax your mind. Our therapists will guide you as you learn healthy skills to re-connect and heal. Call us today at (855) 483-7800.