Breathe Deep, Step Outside: Ways to Tap into Green Therapy
I wrote briefly about green therapy in my recent “Life Lessons I Learned from Camp” article and podcast episode. A few of you reached out to me - thank you! - to say that idea was impactful. I reviewed my article archives and realized I have not written specifically about Green Therapy, and I'm sorry about that because Green Therapy should be talked about! So here we are!
In my recent article and episode I mentioned, as one of the Life Lessons we learn at camp, the importance of being out in nature.
There is a concept called green therapy, it's an acknowledgement that we all feel better when we spend at least a little time in nature, or have the influences of nature around us. Spending time outside can be good for us, and outside in nature is best.
Per AllinTherapyclinic.com and Carepatron.com, Green therapy, sometimes referred to as ecotherapy or nature therapy, is, more importantly, the therapeutic application of the natural world to promote both physical and emotional well-being.
Spending time outside and in natural environments has been clinically proven to:
improve our mood and boost our feelings of happiness and contentment;
improve our brain function, our cognitive function;
improve our physical health, and
improve our mental health.
Per the websites, time in nature lowers cortisol levels, blood pressure, and heart rate, indicating a decrease in stress (Jimenez et al., 2021).
These benefits may be because, per the website, of the sensory experiences that nature provides like the sounds of birds chirping, the sight of greenery, and the feel of a gentle breeze or the sun on our skin.
We can extrapolate more objective reasons for the boosts, too:
Being outside introduces cleaner and more oxygenated air for our mental and physical health;
Very often we are outside for physical activity which improve our physical and mental health;
We often engage in outdoor activities with friends, which boosts our moods and mental health;
Being outside in sunlight can help us re-set our circadian rhythm for better sleep;
Being outside in sunlight can activate Vitamin D, an important vitamin for health but difficult to get through our food choices.
We need to remember that cultures have understood the benefits of Green Therapy for millennia, even if they didn’t always call it that! And until we started spending more time inside in the last few hundred years, our days were immersed in Green Therapy and we didn’t have to think about it! But somewhere along the way, we stopped spending 12 hours a day outside and paying attention to the rhythm of nature.
As cities grew and pollution grew along with them, doctors prescribed going to healthier climates, to the countryside or the seashore, to help patients manage chronic conditions.
Vacations also evolved, and if you look at vacation options, we can see that many of us gravitate to more natural settings for vacation. Lakes, oceans, hikes, parks, mountains, etc. Places we consider healthier and more relaxing.
More importantly, though, after the awareness and acknowledgement that we all feel better when we spend time in nature, is asking what to do with that knowledge? How to apply it for ourselves?
Let’s look at how to connect with nature, for all of the reasons listed above and also any personal reasons for yourself!
Plan to get outside, at least a little every day!
Being outside in the sunlight first thing in the morning helps you sleep better at night.
Being outside in the midday sun boosts Vitamin D production.
I know I spent May sharing information about Skin Cancer Awareness Month. I am NOT encouraging everyone to spend hours the mid-day sun. It is the most effective time to activate our Vitamin D synthesis, but we are talking small increments without promoting skin damage. Healthline.com suggests 5-15 minutes 3 times a week. And you can still wear sunscreen.
Plant a garden, or even a few plants in a pot in your yard, and make a daily habit of tending and watering them. (See, 5 minutes of green therapy just in watering your plants). If an outside garden doesn’t work for you, tending houseplants or an indoor herb garden can also reap the benefits of Green Therapy. It is relaxing, having houseplants improve indoor air quality, and fresh herbs are nutritional boosts to your meals.
Use apps or haptics on your phone for Nature soundscapes, etc. I use my Calm app to fall asleep sometimes to the sounds of forest rains or ocean waves.
It’s easy to employ Green Therapy in the summer, and tougher in the winter. Consider establishing the Green Therapy habits now and be ready to shift for rainy or colder weather, with natural elements like wood and stone in your home or work space, and nature scenes in photographs, posters and art.
And finally, use mindfulness when you are outside to maximize those therapeutic applications of nature around us, even if it is just walking to your car or between buildings.
Stop, look around and see the natural elements around you.
Notice the green trees and the green grass, but also the different shades of green.
Look around until your eye notices a pop of color, and appreciate that, too.
Look and listen for signs of life. Birdsong, squirrels, bugs, the rabbits in my alley and back yard.
Listen for the wind, or feel it in your hair or on your skin.
Breathe deep while you’re outside. Close your eyes and do some square breathing for a minute or two.
Look at a tree and imagine that all we see above the surface is also below the surface, and imagine those roots spreading through the earth and collecting nourishment for growth.
If you have a few extra minutes, walk barefoot in the grass, or stand on the ground and imagine your own roots like a tree pulling nourishment from the earth.
Let’s review:
Green Therapy is based on acknowledging that we all feel better when we spend at least a little time in nature, or have the influences of nature around us.
More than the acknowledgement, though, are the specific and objective ways that being in nature helps us by improving our physical and mental health. And using that knowledge to actively make our lives better and healthier.
We looked at easy and actionable ways to work in Green Therapy to our days for those benefits. And we finished with mindfulness ideas to take with you out the door!
