How nature can support good mental health

As summer draws to a close and the days get shorter, it can be all too easy to hunker down and only venture outside when we must. However, before you dig out your hot water bottles and line up your next Netflix binge, I’d ask you to consider the mental health benefits of getting outside during these autumn and winter months.

Many consider outdoor activities such as walking, gardening or exercising outside to be off-limits once the temperature drops, but restricting these past-times to warmer, longer days could mean you’re missing out on the benefits that being in nature can bring.

How nature helps

When surveyed by The Mental Health Foundation 70% of respondents stated that being close to nature helps to improve their mood, with 49% identifying it as a way to manage their stress. Plus 44% saw a reduction in levels of anxiety after spending time in nature.

These findings were supported by those of the British Science Association which conducted a project requiring individuals to carry out 10-minute nature-based activities at least five times over an eight-day period. Every single one of the 500 participants reported higher levels of well-being after taking part, with many of them continuing their new habits after the project had finished. 

Connecting with nature over winter

One way in which to connect with nature over winter is to wrap up warm and take your morning coffee outside. As well as the benefits of being amongst nature, getting natural light early in the day can influence our circadian rhythms, resulting in better sleep patterns, which in turn can benefit our mental health.

If you fancy something a bit more active, you could go for a walk. Those of us with dogs, forced outside rain or shine, will tell you how good it feels to walk through the woods during a rainstorm, or make the first set of footprints across a frosty field. The feeling of awe that nature often brings enables us to put our worries in perspective and press pause on the stresses of daily life. 

Being outside manages to lift our mood even when we were dreading having to pull on our wellies and waterproofs. This is because walking, as with other forms of exercise, causes our bodies to release endorphins. Endorphins, otherwise known as the happy hormone, help us to relax and, in turn, can improve our well-being.

Studies have shown that walking is a great way to combat the risk of depression and can result in improved sleep, as well as reduced stress and anxiety. However, if stomping through the countryside feels a bit too active for you, another way to spend time amongst nature is to partake in a spot of forest bathing or shinrin-yoku, a Japanese relaxation practice. This simply involves being mindful whilst amongst trees, observing the nature around you and breathing deeply. It is advised that participants use all five of their senses when observing what is around them. This means that, unlike many mindfulness practices, your eyes should be kept open, allowing you to take in the greens of the forest, a colour which has been shown to help relaxation.

It would be wrong of me to hold up spending time in nature as a miracle cure for any mental struggles. There are times when other help - counselling, medication, support groups - is needed and I would encourage you to seek these out if you feel they would be of benefit. However, making a change to your lifestyle and spending more time in nature could also help you over the winter months until we welcome Spring.