🌿 Nature for Mental Health

My favourite nearby lake

If you seek out nature when you're under pressure from mental health challenges like anxiety or depression, you're doing something deeply wise — and scientifically supported. Not only do you get a soothing break in calming surroundings, but you're also giving your mind and body a proven therapeutic effect. Studies show that just 30 minutes in nature can begin to reduce anxiety and improve mood — and the benefits can last for several hours afterward.

📊 What the science says about nature and mental health

Spending time in nature isn't just a nice idea — it's backed by science. Here’s what researchers have found:

• Lower stress hormones in just 20–30 minutes:A 2019 study published in Frontiers in Psychology found that spending 20 to 30 minutes in a natural setting significantly reduced levels of cortisol, the stress hormone.Source: Hunter et al. (2019)

• Improved mood and focus after nature walks:Research from the University of Michigan showed that even short walks in natural environments improve mood and working memory, while reducing feelings of mental fatigue.Source: Berman et al. (2012)

• Lasting effects beyond the moment:The calming and mood-enhancing effects of nature can continue for several hours — and build up over time if experienced regularly.

• Not just forests – everyday green counts:Whether it's a forest, a quiet garden, a local park, or even a few plants on a balcony, exposure to greenery has been linked to better mental wellbeing.Source: Bratman et al. (2015)

• Nature supports recovery from anxiety and depression:The World Health Organization has highlighted how regular time in nature can help prevent and reduce anxiety, depression, and stress-related disorders.Source: WHO Europe, 2021 – Nature, Biodiversity and Mental Health

🌼 Why this matters

When your mind feels heavy or tense, nature offers a quiet space to pause. It doesn’t ask anything of you. It simply invites you to step outside, breathe, and notice what’s around you.Even on difficult days, a few minutes among leaves, sky, and soil can create a small shift — not because something has to change, but because you’re allowed to just be for a while.

Spring time

🧭 My own personal experience with nature for mental health

In my neighborhood, there is a large lake. It is possible to take my bike around it. It is a 10 km trip. I like to take the trip in the morning before starting other stuff. I don’t go very fast — after all, the trip is also meant to help me step down from constant doing. The aim is just to enjoy nature and get a mental boost.

It is my experience that the above scientific suggestions hold true. As a person with a lot of anxiety, it's very nice to see it drop relatively fast — maybe after just 15 minutes. It also affects my mood in a very good way, lifting it in a warm and gentle way. As someone with both anxiety and depression in my life, I really appreciate this effect. As you might already know, depression and anxiety often go together. That’s sad in a way — but the good thing is that nature can lessen both, for free.

My trip is never the same. Some days there are clouds, other days blue sky, rain, or windy conditions. So if you look carefully, you’ll get a brand new experience every time. This is my way of using nature for mental health.

🌱 Tips and tricks

I know that if you're depressed, you might not be constantly doing stuff. You might do very little and feel completely clueless about what to do next. You might have heard the term soothing activities.The trick is that if you do things that normally would be pleasant — even though you’ve lost interest in them — it can still be very beneficial. You might enjoy it a little bit, even though you thought it was impossible. If you don’t see any effect right away, just continue anyway. It’s a very effective way to deal with depression.

In my personal experience, nature is one of the best soothing activities there is. That’s because it can be a soothing activity while at the same time giving you all the benefits mentioned above — a very good combination.

If anxiety is your main concern, it is very nice to see it go down. And more than that, it gives you the valuable insight that anxiety isn’t permanent. It’s like the ocean — rising and falling. This discovery can be calming just by itself. Remember: nature is always there when you need it. Hopefully, you can take the experience with you into the rest of the day.

🌳 Final thoughts

If you are not fortunate enough to live close to forests, lakes, or the sea, try to find a large park with lots of trees. It is very important to remember that you don’t need a shelter deep in the forest to feel the effect.

Even a quiet park, a tree-lined path, or a green area in your neighborhood can offer calming input for your mind and body. That said, the deeper restorative effects — like those related to ionized air, dense vegetation, and rich biodiversity — tend to come from wilder and more immersive natural environments.

Still, every bit counts. Try picking something up in nature — a small rock or a leaf. Something that can remind you of your special connection with nature when you’re at home.

Pine cones from a forest very dear to me