Your Nervous System Misses the Forest: When Was the Last Time You Touched a Tree?

Julie Barris | Crisis Counselor | Therapist-in-Training
Jul 19
4 min read

Updated: Oct 3

Spending time in nature can help regulate your nervous system, shifting you out of survival mode and into a calmer, more grounded state. When you're constantly under stress, your nervous system stays on high alert — but even five minutes outside can begin to reset that response.

Your Nervous System Misses the Forest: When Was the Last Time You Touched a Tree?

We’ve grown used to cramming every hour of the day with productivity. We get praised for pushing through exhaustion, rewarded for “grinding” — but rarely encouraged to step outside just to breathe. For adults balancing work, school, caregiving, and the emotional weight of simply existing in the world right now, pausing to spend time in nature can feel indulgent or even impossible. But it isn’t a luxury. It’s a human need.

Our bodies were not built to live under fluorescent lights and screen glare, bouncing from one task to the next. They were built in wild environments — shaped by sunlight, trees, animals, and weather. You’re not broken for feeling disconnected or anxious when you’re cooped up. You’re responding to an unnatural environment. Nature reconnects us to something ancient inside ourselves. It slows us down, softens our nervous system, and reminds us that just being is enough.

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The Science Behind Nature’s Magic

Science backs up what our bodies instinctively know: being in nature makes us feel better. A 2021 study published in Scientific Reports found that just 120 minutes per week in nature significantly improved overall well-being. Other studies show that even 10–15 minutes of “green time” can lower cortisol, reduce muscle tension, and activate the parasympathetic nervous system — your body’s “rest and digest” mode.

One particularly fascinating finding? Nature doesn’t just help us calm down — it can boost focus and memory, too. This is especially useful if you’re juggling school or high-stress job responsibilities. The mental “reset” that happens after a walk outdoors, even in an urban park, helps restore the attention fatigue that builds up from constant screen time and multitasking. Nature gives your brain room to breathe.

You Don’t Need a Forest to Feel This

It’s easy to think nature has to be majestic to be healing — a national park, a scenic trail, a weekend camping trip. But that belief only keeps us more disconnected. Nature is not just a destination; it’s a relationship. And like any relationship, it’s built in small, consistent moments of presence.

A dandelion growing through concrete? Nature.A patch of moss on a sidewalk? Nature.The breeze that greets you in the parking lot after a long shift? Nature.

You don’t need perfect conditions to receive the benefits. Start with what’s right outside your front door. Sit near a tree. Open your window and listen to the wind. Look up at the sky for 60 uninterrupted seconds. These “micro-moments” of connection add up — emotionally and neurologically — creating space in the mind and stillness in the body.

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Let the Earth Hold You for a Minute

Most of our responsibilities — deadlines, expectations, to-do lists — are loud. But nature whispers. And when we let it, it can offer a kind of support nothing else can. Nature doesn’t rush you to feel better. It doesn’t expect you to show up happy, productive, or emotionally polished. You can cry under a tree, sit silently in the grass, or walk in circles on a wooded path and be exactly who you are.

When everything else in life demands performance, nature offers presence. A tree doesn’t shrink away from your grief. The ocean doesn’t require you to be okay first. The Earth accepts you exactly as you are — messy, overwhelmed, imperfect. And in doing so, it teaches you how to extend that same grace to yourself.

Try This: A 5-Minute Reconnection Ritual

You don’t need an hour to reset your nervous system. Just five intentional minutes outdoors can interrupt spiraling thoughts, soothe anxiety, or shift your emotional state. Here’s a grounding practice you can try almost anywhere — in a backyard, on a lunch break, or even on the sidewalk.

5-4-3-2-1: A Nature-Based Grounding Exercise

Look for 5 natural things (leaves, clouds, birds, cracks in the dirt).
Touch 4 different textures (grass, bark, stone, air on your skin).
Listen for 3 sounds (wind, rustling, distant dogs).
Smell 2 earthy or outdoor scents (flowers, fresh air, damp soil).
Take 1 slow, full breath. Inhale. Hold. Exhale.

Do this when you feel overwhelmed, over-scheduled, or emotionally shut down. You don’t have to change your surroundings — just change how you engage with them.