Nature as a Natural Healer
Have you ever felt like everything is going just fine, but somehow you’re still not happy? I have — for long stretches, over many years. There are many reasons, but one piece I realized was missing for me was being in nature.
Life is complicated and hectic and sometimes I just want to be a couch potato. And sometimes I should be. But I’ve learned there’s a time and place for everything, and when one thing takes over, everything else can fall out of balance.
I grew up surrounded by ocean and mountains. Being outside was just part of life — and I was happy. But when I moved to America, the heat and unfamiliar environment made going outside feel unnatural. I avoided it, and over time, it slipped from my routine completely.
That shift happened slowly, over years. But eventually, my mood declined, and my anxiety rose. Nature isn’t the only reason — we’re multifaceted people with layered challenges — but it’s one that turned out to matter more than I realized.
When you grow up with something, you often take it for granted. It’s only with hindsight that you see its true impact. I hope sharing this helps you reflect sooner than I did.
In America, being outside feels harder. It depends on where you live — not every area has safe or accessible outdoor spaces. And as a woman, I often feel unsafe walking alone, especially early in the morning or after dark. That kind of anxiety cancels out any benefit I might otherwise get from being outside.
But when I do find the right time and space — a quiet, safe spot with a little privacy — I can feel the stress melt away. It helps me recenter, breathe, release my thoughts. I overthink a lot. Nature gives me room to exhale and let those thoughts go.
The setting matters. I don’t need to be completely alone, but I do need space. If someone walks too close, my anxiety spikes, and the calm disappears. Nothing’s ever happened — but the possibility is enough to disturb the peace.
Because it’s so hard to find that ideal outdoor moment, I’ve often wondered: could I recreate it somehow?
Gardening always seemed boring to me — a waste of time, even. But lately, I’ve started to reconsider. Maybe that’s exactly what gardening is: a safe outdoor space where you can center yourself, move your body, reflect, and let go. A pocket of stillness, close to home.
I’ve never truly gardened. I’ve kept potted plants, and when it’s time to repot or refresh them, I actually enjoy the process. It’s simple, even meditative. Next spring or summer, I’d like to try real gardening — intentionally — and see how it feels.
My backyard is a mess, but I’m thinking of tackling it in stages: pulling weeds, clearing sections, laying grass. Maybe it won’t match the peace of sitting by the sea or on a mountain balcony, surrounded by cloud-kissed peaks — but maybe it doesn’t have to. Maybe it will be its own kind of peaceful.
Nature is a natural healer, and in today’s concrete world, we forget that. Planting a few trees isn’t the same as forest bathing. We evolved with nature, but now we build walls between ourselves and the natural world — at a cost. Nature matters. For our health. For our clarity. For our sanity.
Don’t forget to watch a sunrise or a sunset. To sit outside and just listen. To follow a path and see where it leads. Nature may not solve everything, but it opens a door back to yourself.
How will you incorporate nature into your routine?
