New Ways to Bring Nature to You When You Can’t Get Out to Nature
We human beings instinctively know that being out in nature and connecting with it has enormous benefits for our physical and mental health.
So many recent articles and studies confirm this with mounting scientific evidence to back it up. “Nurtured by Nature,” an article by Kirsten Weir published on the website of the American Psychological Association reports “how impressive nature’s healing powers can be—just a few moments of green can perk up a tired brain.” Also, according to Nature.com’s Scientific Reports publication, “research suggests that psychological connectedness to the natural world, e.g. feeling part of nature or seeing beauty in natural things, is also positively associated with positive well-being.”
From hiking deep into the woods for forest bathing to hiking the highest hilltop to breathe in the vastness of mother earth, there are numerous ways to experience nature’s glory.
But what can you do when you can’t get out to nature? Not just because you’re too busy, or you live in an urban area. What if you’re unable to get to nature because of a debilitating physical disease, or severe allergies and asthma, or mental health issues, such as social anxiety? What if even just buying a plant, which is often suggested as a way to bring nature indoors, is a problem for you? Plus, buying a plant, which is often suggested as a way to bring nature indoors, won’t make up for the experience of, or give you all the benefits of, getting out in nature. In fact, a plant might even become a problem all its own for those who have severe allergies.
As someone who has lived with chronic disease my entire life, I’ve craved being able to experience nature’s beauty whenever I wanted. I craved its calm. Its fresh air. Its green spaces and blue skies.
Unfortunately, during the times of severe illness, when simply walking was painful, this was impossible. Even during the easier times with my ill health, the thought of getting outside left me feeling vulnerable and afraid to be outdoors alone. During those times, I became motivated to find ways to bring nature to me when I had to stay indoors.
Thankfully, I married an outdoorsy kinda guy later in life. He loves getting out in nature as much as I do, and he figures out a way to take me. Whether he’s rolling me around in a wheelchair or carrying me up a hill, as he did during our visit to Sedona, Arizona in 2017, he gives me the gift of experiencing nature’s healing power.
So, for those of us who aren’t always able to make it outside, there’s good news. We, too, can reap the benefits of being out in nature. According to a study from NIH’s Center for Biotechnology Information, even simply looking at tranquil pictures of nature reduced activity in the portions of the brain responsible for feelings of anxiety, depression, stress, and worry.
With this information in mind, I decided to write a list of new ways, both free and paid, to bring nature indoors. These ways will not only bring nature to you, they will enable you to also enjoy the physical and psychological benefits of being outside, such as the following list, taken from studies from the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and various medical journals (see list of references at the end of this post). Benefits such as:
Improved mental health, including reduced stress, increased relaxation, and decreased depression;
Improved physical health, especially for those living with chronic pain or healing from illness, including lower pain levels and increased energy;
Improved happiness and overall wellbeing.
Each of these studies report that the brain does not know the difference between actually being outdoors in nature and viewing pictures or videos of nature. In other words, simply observing nature scenes gives us positive physiological and psychological effects.
Free Ways to Bring Nature to You
View and Download Copyright-free Images of Nature
Photography websites, such as Unsplash.com, Pixabay.com, and Pexels.com, allow free downloads of photographs from photographers who allow their work to be shared copyright free. Simply sign up with an email address. From there, you can either view them on the website or download and print them out to hang on your walls.Watch Calming Nature Videos on YouTube
I’m not referring to the stressful videos with survival-of-the-fittest type animal encounters. Not calming. Rather, I’m talking about the videos that feature recordings of the calming, peaceful sights and sounds of nature. Here is a list of my favorite YouTube relaxing nature channels: https://www.youtube.com/@johnnielawson/playlists and https://www.youtube.com/@ExploreOceans/featuredBask in the Natural Light by a Window
This may sound silly, but there’s wisdom in positioning yourself by a window in your home or office. At the very least, you get the natural light coming in, even on cloudy days. Also, if you’re fortunate enough to be able to see green spaces, such as gardens or trees, you also get to see nature in action as the seasons change. Our puppies and kitties who find their ways to the windows know what they’re doing!Use the National Park Service App
The National Park Service offers a free app for both Apple and Android that features self-guided tours of national parks narrated by park rangers as well as virtual hikes that make you feel like you’re actually there. https://www.nps.gov/subjects/digital/nps-apps.htm
Paid Ways to Bring Nature to You
Listen to Meditations with Nature Sounds
Apps such as InsightTimer.com and Calm.com are paid subscriptions that provide all sorts of mindful meditation experiences, including ones based in nature-therapy. On InsightTimer for example, there are over 160,000 tracks to choose from, and a robust search feature that will take you to the recordings of nature sounds with or without music. See https://insighttimer.com and https://www.calm.com.Decorate with nature art from your favorite artist, photographer, or illustrator.
There’s an evidence-based reason that nature art is popular in hospitals, healthcare settings, offices, and commercial spaces. It uplifts us and relaxes us and brings feeling of happiness. Our mission at Cabin Creek Art is to create beautiful nature art. See our collection of calming, healing nature art here.Buy Realistic Artificial Plants When Allergies Are a Problem
Unlike real plants, no oxygen will be released, but the visual effects of greenery will help the brain. You can find beautiful, yet very realistic, artificial plants at a company called Nearly Natural, as well as Target, Kohls, and Amazon.
Well, there you have it. New ways to bring nature to you when you can’t get to nature. If you have any questions or thoughts, please share in the comment section below.
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To learn more reading list:
Research Study from NIH’s National Center for Biotechnology Information: Autonomic Nervous System Responses to Viewing Green and Built Settings: Differentiating Between Sympathetic and Parasympathetic Activity
Article in Nature.com’s Scientific Reports: Associations between green/blue spaces and mental health across 18 countries
Published Research from the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences: A synthesis of health benefits of natural sounds and their distribution in national parks
Article from North Carolina State University: Shining Light on What Natural Light Does For Your Body by Carla Davis
Research Study from NIH’s Environmental Research and Public Health: The Mood-Improving Effect of Viewing Images of Nature and Its Neural Substrate
Article from University of Minnesota’s Bakken Center for Spirituality & Healing: How Does Nature Impact Our Wellbeing?
