Category Archives: Nature Therapy

Winter often encourages us to slow down, stay inside, and retreat from the world. While rest is essential, spending time outdoors during the winter months offers powerful benefits for mental health, emotional resilience, and overall well-being. Even in colder temperatures, nature continues to provide grounding, restoration, and healing—sometimes in quieter, deeper ways than during warmer seasons.

Getting outside in winter doesn’t require extreme sports or long adventures. Simple activities like walking, snowshoeing, or skiing can significantly support mental health and help regulate the nervous system during a season that can otherwise feel heavy or isolating.

Why Being Outside in Winter Is Good for Mental Health

Winter is often associated with increased stress, low mood, and symptoms of seasonal depression. Reduced daylight, disrupted routines, and limited social interaction can affect emotional balance. Research consistently shows that spending time in nature helps reduce stress hormones, improve mood, and support nervous system regulation—even during winter.

Exposure to natural light, fresh air, and gentle movement outdoors supports serotonin production and helps counteract seasonal affective symptoms. Winter landscapes, with their simplicity and stillness, can also promote mindfulness and emotional clarity.

Spending time outside in winter can:

• Reduce anxiety and stress
• Improve mood and emotional regulation
• Support focus and mental clarity
• Increase feelings of connection and grounding
• Promote resilience during seasonal transitions

Winter Walking: A Simple and Effective Practice

Walking outside in winter is one of the most accessible ways to experience the mental health benefits of nature. Even short walks in a neighborhood, park, or along a river path can have a meaningful impact on mood and stress levels.

Walking supports bilateral movement, which helps the brain process emotions and regulate the nervous system. The steady rhythm of walking, combined with fresh winter air and natural scenery, can reduce rumination and encourage presence.

Winter walking also naturally encourages mindfulness. The crunch of snow, visible breath, and crisp air draw attention into the body and the present moment, helping calm an overactive mind.

Tips for winter walking:

• Dress in warm layers and weather-appropriate footwear
• Focus on sensory experiences rather than distance or pace
• Choose familiar or well-maintained paths
• Allow short walks to be enough

Snowshoeing: Gentle Movement with Powerful Benefits

Snowshoeing is an excellent winter activity for both physical and mental health. It allows access to quiet, snow-covered landscapes while providing steady, low-impact movement that supports cardiovascular health and emotional regulation.

Because snowshoeing requires a slower pace and more intentional movement, it naturally encourages presence and grounding. Many people find that snowshoeing feels meditative, helping them disconnect from mental noise and reconnect with their body and surroundings.

Benefits of snowshoeing include:

• Improved mood and reduced stress
• Enhanced balance and coordination
• Increased confidence through gentle challenge
• Deeper connection to winter landscapes

Skiing: Mental Focus and Nervous System Regulation

Downhill and cross-country skiing both offer unique mental health benefits. Skiing requires focus, coordination, and engagement with the body—qualities that help interrupt anxious thought patterns and bring attention into the present moment.

For many people, skiing creates a state of “flow,” where worries temporarily fade and the mind becomes absorbed in movement and sensation. This can be especially helpful during winter, when mental health challenges are more common.

Skiing can support:

• Stress reduction through physical exertion
• Improved mood and energy levels
• Increased confidence and self-trust
• Emotional release through movement

Other Beneficial Winter Outdoor Activities

Not all winter outdoor activities need to be physically demanding. Gentle, intentional time outside can be just as impactful.

Additional winter activities that support mental health include:

• Standing or sitting quietly outdoors for a few minutes
• Practicing mindful breathing outside
• Nature photography or observing wildlife
• Easy hiking on packed trails
• Short outdoor stretching or movement practices

The goal is not intensity, but connection.

Overcoming Common Barriers to Getting Outside in Winter

Many people hesitate to spend time outdoors in winter due to discomfort, fear of cold, or lack of motivation. These barriers are understandable—and they can often be addressed with a shift in mindset.

Instead of viewing winter nature as something to endure, consider it an invitation to engage differently. Winter encourages slower pacing, deeper noticing, and gentler expectations.

Helpful reframes include:

• “A short time outside is enough”
• “Comfort matters more than performance”
• “Connection doesn’t require perfect conditions”

Embracing Winter as a Season of Healing

Winter offers a unique opportunity to cultivate resilience, self-compassion, and presence. By spending time outdoors—even briefly—you remind your nervous system that you are supported, connected, and capable of adapting to change.

Nature in winter mirrors many internal processes: rest, reflection, and quiet preparation for growth. Engaging with the natural world during this season can help you feel more grounded, steady, and emotionally supported—both now and as you move toward spring.

References

Bratman, G. N., Anderson, C. B., Berman, M. G., Cochran, B., de Vries, S., Flanders, J., … Daily, G. C. (2019). Nature and mental health: An ecosystem service perspective. Science Advances, 5(7), eaax0903.

Kuo, M. (2015). How might contact with nature promote human health? Promising mechanisms and a possible central pathway. Frontiers in Psychology, 6, 1093.

Twohig-Bennett, C., & Jones, A. (2018). The health benefits of the great outdoors: A systematic review and meta-analysis of greenspace exposure. Environmental Research, 166, 628–637.

Hunter, M. R., Gillespie, B. W., & Chen, S. Y. (2019). Urban nature experiences reduce stress in the context of daily life. Frontiers in Psychology, 10, 722.

Berman, M. G., Jonides, J., & Kaplan, S. (2008). The cognitive benefits of interacting with nature. Psychological Science, 19(12), 1207–1212.

Remember when you were a kid and how good it felt to walk barefoot on the grass? Or in the sand? Do you remember the magic of watching the clouds and then seeing if you could see objects in the cloud shapes? Do you remember the feel of the sun on your skin? Being outside and in nature heals. We feel it and know it instinctively. And yet, with our busy lives many of us find it challenging to spend time in nature, soaking up its many benefits. Mental health care is recognizing more than ever the role that Nature Therapy plays in healing our minds and bodies. Here, I will explore the mental health benefits of Nature Therapy and how anyone can incorporate it into their lives.

What is nature therapy and how does it work?

Nature therapy is a therapeutic approach that involves meaningful exposure to nature environments. This can include activities like forest bathing (walking in forests), gardening, animal-assisted therapy, or simply spending time in green or blue spaces (parks, lakes). The idea is that by connecting with nature, people experience mental restoration and healing, as nature helps reduce stress, anxiety, and other mental health symptoms. Numerous studies back the positive impact of nature on mental health. Nature Therapy can reduce stress, anxiety, and depression, boost self-esteem, and improve focus and cognitive function (1). Exposure to nature environments also promotes happiness and well-being. Just 20-30 minutes spent in a natural setting can significantly improve mood, decrease cortisol levels (the stress hormone), and enhance feelings of peace and relaxation (1). Blue spaces, such as lakes and rivers, are also shown to have calming effects (2). Incorporating nature therapy doesn’t require extreme adventures—small steps can make a big difference. You can start with simple activities like short walks in the park, along the Boise Greenbelt, or listening to nature sounds. Group activities like outdoor yoga or hiking with friends can also foster social connection and increase motivation.

Nature Therapy is particularly effective for those living with anxiety, depression, and stress.

Research has shown that people with high stress levels experience significant mental relief from even brief exposure to nature. Additionally, those with cognitive impairments or attention deficit disorders often show improved focus and cognitive flexibility after engaging with nature (3). Nature therapy works well alongside traditional mental health treatments. While it shouldn’t replace conventional therapy or medication for the treatment of mental health disorders, it serves as an excellent complement, offering additional tools to enhance overall well-being (3). For instance, combining nature-based therapy with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can create a more holistic and balanced approach to mental health care.

If you are interested in joining a nature-based self-love group for women, please reach out to learn more about this weekly group that meets on Thursday mornings. Additionally, I offer nature therapy activities and events throughout the year such as kayaking, white water rafting, and hiking. Please reach out for more information or find it in the events tab.

References:

1. Verywell Mind. (2023). How nature therapy helps your mental health.

Verywell Mind.

2. Choosing Therapy. (2023). 10 benefits of nature on mental health.

Choosing Therapy.

3. Nature Wellness Academy. (2019). What is nature therapy? 10 examples

of nature therapy approaches. Nature Wellness Academy