Why Nature Therapy is the Ultimate in Self-Care

Nature provides the best place on earth for the ultimate in self-care.

Spending time with Mother Nature in the great outdoors helps to reduce stress, find clarity, and refresh your mind while invigorating your body.

Good self-care is KEY to improved mood,  reduced anxiety, and a good relationship with yourself as well as others.

I live across the street from a hiking trail by a creek, and I’ve found if I do about five laps of the trail by the creek, I can get in my 10,000 steps for the day, which is about four miles total.

I try to get on the trail as often as I can when I can and sometimes it takes a couple short walks to get me to my goal of 10,000 steps a day...

And…

What I’ve found is that this is one of the ways I implement a daily habit called...SELF-CARE.

Which helps my mood, manage stress, and keep my ‘zen,’ as well as clear my head.

Meditate even…

Not to mention, get the benefits of being surrounded by nature AND fit in some movement into my day!

It’s a win-win!

And, I’m here to tell you - I used to feel like I wanted to just get away from it all because I was so overwhelmed, exhausted stressed, anxious and unhappy.

But now, before I get to feeling like that, or let life just trample me down, I simply go and get away briefly so I can come back restored, refreshed, and able to bring my 'A game' to the table.

And the same is true for YOU when it comes to your health…

If you ever feel so overwhelmed that you just want to escape life, there’s a way to stave that off in advance by learning the best strategies to implement daily self-care.

Self-care can be many things, but today, I want to share a couple reasons why I choose to spend time in nature.

1. A Calm Mind & Steady Mood

Being in nature is proven to help reduce stress. It can help you heal more deeply, more quickly. When I feel the most stressed, I head straight outdoors and it puts everything into perspective.

In the words of naturalist John Burroughs, “I go to nature to be soothed and healed and to have my senses put in order.”

It helps to feel more connected as you can get away from all the pressures of the busy world around and focus. “Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better,” said Albert Einstein.

2. A Fully Alive Body

Sitting at the computer all day, commuting to work, and being stuck indoors often in buildings that are not conducive to your health takes a toll on your body.

Getting out into nature and moving your body helps you in so many ways. Reducing stress along can benefit your sleep, your hormones, and your mood. It also helps your energy levels and increases your cardiovascular health, which can stave off the risk of heart diseases.

Personally, hiking on my trail daily helps keep me toned and my belly way less 'poochie.' It's also a great gentle weight bearing exercise that most people can tolerate.

Getting out into nature, for a daily hike or other activity, is an opportunity for you to create intentional self-care, clear your mind, improve your mood, and rejuvenate your whole body so you can flourish.

How about you? Have you found a way to fit regular nature therapy into your life?

Come hang with me on Instagram if you want to see all my 'nature therapy' hiking pics!