Nature Is Not a Luxury—It’s a Nervous System Need 🌿
There’s a moment that hits me sometimes—after too much time online, too many hours indoors, too many days of fluorescent light and artificial air. It’s a kind of soul-itch. A quiet, almost primal craving.
I don’t always know what I need in those moments. But I’ve learned that if I just walk barefoot into the grass or on the sand, or sit with my back against a tree, or even place my hand gently on a houseplant… something shifts.
Sometimes all we really need is some time out in a bit of nature, especially without headphones in.
Science agrees—this isn’t just “nice.” It’s medicine.
🍃 Biophilia: Why Nature Feels Like Home
The biophilia hypothesis suggests we’re biologically wired to love nature. We evolved surrounded by trees, rivers, and soil—and our bodies still remember that rhythm.
Studies have shown:
• Time in green space reduces cortisol (stress hormone).
• Hospital patients heal faster with plants in their rooms.
• Nature walks boost mood, creativity, and even immunity.
Even fake plants and audio-visual simulations, funnily enough, can have subtle psychological benefits.
Nothing beats the real thing though. Especially when it’s alive, breathing, growing alongside you.
A visual representation that you’re changing with the seasons too.
🌱 Plant Care as Self-Care
I once came across a house being landscaped—snake plants tossed into a pile like discarded furniture. I snapped off a few sprouts, popped them in jars of water, and scattered them around my space.
Funnily enough, my housemate at the time also spotted it and brought the rest home later 🤝
Snake plants in water need barely any light or maintenance at all, they can be placed in parts of your house that are dark or where you have slim space to tuck them - we put them everywhere. Suddenly, even the loneliest corners felt alive.
Taking care of plants has become a quiet ritual of self-kindness. I’m not always perfect at it. Some wilt. Some thrive. But it teaches me something important:
Growth doesn’t always look graceful. And sometimes, the most resilient things are the ones that grow in forgotten places.
🌳 Nature as Nervous System Reset
There are days when journaling feels like too much. When you can’t meditate. When even breathing with intention feels like a slog.
On those days, I try to do just one thing: get somewhere green.
Maybe it’s a walk around the nearest or biggest park. Maybe it’s lying down under a tree and looking up until the sky feels bigger than my problems. Maybe it’s just standing outside barefoot for five minutes and feeling the earth under my feet.
I will own up to the fact that I was a very sedentary person for the last few years. I’d sit at a desk all day and then come home and sit on the couch all night. I didn’t play any sport or even go for many walks at the time.
I knew I should be doing more but the idea of paying for a gym membership only to not use it enough held me back. It was hard to join a team sport as I did rotating shift work and never knew which nights I’d be free to play.
The only thing that eventually got me out of this rut was just telling myself to fit in as many walks as I could, even if it was only 10 minutes after work. Then I started using my lunch break to do a quick lap of the nearby park. I started getting off the train or bus a stop early and walking the rest of the way. Then I’d take the stairs instead of the lift at work sometimes.
Eventually by just taking one small step each day I built up my fitness, confidence and drive. I started walking places rather than getting public transport or driving. I even actually go to the gym now - the old me could never!
This is bottom-up healing. Let the body remember what the mind has forgotten.
Be gentle and patient with yourself.
If it’s all you can for now, just take one step.
🏞️ Forest Bathing: The Science Behind the Calm
In Japan, they call it Shinrin-yoku—forest bathing. It’s not exercise. Not a hike. Just being present among trees. And it works.
Research shows forest bathing can:
• Reduce anxiety
• Increase natural killer cells (part of immune function)
You don’t need a mystical forest, either. A patch of local bushland. A garden. Even your backyard. Nature doesn’t demand perfection—it only asks that you show up.
🌻 Wild Grounding: A Ritual of Reconnection
Try this when you can feel your skin starting to crawl and you don’t know why:
Step outside. Barefoot, if you can. I wear thongs when I walk to the park so I can kick them off and walk directly on the grass for a bit.
Find something alive—a tree, a patch of grass, a plant.
Place your hand on it gently without causing any harm. Close your eyes. Run your fingers through the leaves or along the bark.
Imagine: If I were this tree, how would I feel? Would I reach for the sun? Would I stretch and bend with the wind? Would I feel the ants tracing my roots?
Take 5 deep breaths. Let your nervous system soften. Let your edges blur. Breathe normally.
You don’t need to “talk to trees.” But you might be surprised by what you hear when you start to listen.
🌿 Nature Prescriptions: Now Recognised Medicine
Doctors in Canada, the UK, and Australia are starting to prescribe time in nature as treatment for anxiety, burnout, and depression. The “PaRx” initiative in Canada even gives patients free park passes.
So if you’ve ever felt silly for craving trees, grass, or oceans—don’t.
Your body is wise. Your craving for nature isn’t a distraction. It’s a direction.
🪴 If You Can’t Go Outside—Bring Nature In
Can’t always get outside? No problem. Try:
• Devil’s Ivy or Snake Plants—hard to kill, easy to love. Little light needed.
• Fresh herbs on your kitchen windowsill. Mint grows easily and quickly, then you’re halfway to making a mojito!
• A vase of dried flowers, a bunch of eucalyptus leaves, a pinecone on your shelf, shells from the beach. 🐚
Even tending one small plant is a whisper to your nervous system: Life is here. You’re safe. You’re part of it.
🌏 Future Threads: Where We’re Headed Next
This is just the beginning. In future posts, we’ll explore:
• 🌾 Community gardens as tools for local resilience
• 💧 Natural sequence farms and water regeneration (like the Mulloon Institute’s work)
• 🌻 Rebuilding the village—getting to know your neighbours again, not just surviving but belonging
For now, don’t forget to stop and smell the flowers - literally!
References
Barton, J., & Rogerson, M. (2017). The importance of greenspace for mental health. BJPsych international, 14(4), 79–81. https://doi.org/10.1192/s2056474000002051
Antonelli, M., Barbieri, G., & Donelli, D. (2019). Effects of forest bathing (shinrin-yoku) on levels of cortisol as a stress biomarker: a systematic review and meta-analysis. International journal of biometeorology, 63(8), 1117–1134. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00484-019-01717-x
Park, S. H., & Mattson, R. H. (2009). Ornamental indoor plants in hospital rooms enhanced health outcomes of patients recovering from surgery. Journal of alternative and complementary medicine (New York, N.Y.), 15(9), 975–980. https://doi.org/10.1089/acm.2009.0075
Jeong, J. E., & Park, S. A. (2021). Physiological and Psychological Effects of Visual Stimulation with Green Plant Types. International journal of environmental research and public health, 18(24), 12932. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182412932
Grassini S. (2022). A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Nature Walk as an Intervention for Anxiety and Depression. Journal of clinical medicine, 11(6), 1731. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm11061731
Atchley, R. A., Strayer, D. L., & Atchley, P. (2012). Creativity in the wild: improving creative reasoning through immersion in natural settings. PloS one, 7(12), e51474. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0051474
Andersen, L., Corazon, S. S. S., & Stigsdotter, U. K. K. (2021). Nature Exposure and Its Effects on Immune System Functioning: A Systematic Review. International journal of environmental research and public health, 18(4), 1416. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18041416
Wen, Y., Yan, Q., Pan, Y. et al. Medical empirical research on forest bathing (Shinrin-yoku): a systematic review. Environ Health Prev Med 24, 70 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12199-019-0822-8
