There is plenty of research to suggest that being in nature can help relieve anxiety, calm nerves, and offer relaxing and restorative effects. You might not get the benefit from a stroll down a busy city street, but even a small parkette in an urban landscape can help.
As long as it feels like a relaxing slice of nature with trees, plants, and flowers, it has the potential to help.
Hiking, walking through parks, and enjoying green spaces can be cheap, accessible, and effective ways to relieve stress and anxiety and promote better health. Whether you’re in urban greenspace, the woods, or a conservation area, nature can help.
Research has shown that spending time in nature can boost cognition, memory, reduce stress, improve emotional well-being, increase happiness, and provide a sense of meaning and purpose in life.
The exact method of why nature offers such positive outcomes is yet fully understood, but it’s believed to have a lot to do with the sights and sounds. Benefits even seem to exist by simply listening to sounds like crickets chirping, waves crashing, or brooks babbling.
If you’re unable to get outside or travel to a park or natural setting, it doesn’t mean you are out of luck. Some research even suggests that looking at nature can have the same effect.
Getting some nature photographs and dedicating some space in your home to plant life, along with playing nature sounds, may offer relief. If you have outdoor space, a garden can serve as an outdoor oasis.
With winter coming, it may be worthwhile to look into dedicating an area of your home to plant life or photos. This may help you during the short and dark days of winter when anxiety hits.