Reset in Nature: The Importance of Nature in Anxiety Management

Anxiety can feel like an endless heavy weight, impacting your mind and body. If you are working with Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) or thinking about starting, you might be interested to learn about how spending time in nature can be an important addition to your anxiety management toolkit. In this post, I explore how we can use exposure to nature to support mental health and wellbeing.

The Calming Power of Nature

Time spent in nature can lower cortisol, reduce blood pressure, and calm your nervous system. Time in nature could create distance between you and your anxious thoughts. These effects create a sense of grounding and reset which could support the work you are doing in CBT.

How Nature Complements CBT for Anxiety:

CBT can help to build awareness of your thoughts, expectations and assumptions and can look at engaging with these differently. Time spend in nature could enhance CBT by:

• Reducing physical anxiety symptoms: Studies show nature could lowers heart rate and cortisol levels, helping you feel more grounded and calmer.

• Supporting mindfulness and relaxation: Practicing mindfulness outdoors could deepen your awareness.

• Encouraging increased physical activity: Walking in nature could boost mood enhancing endorphins.

• Providing a reflective space: The quiet and beauty of nature could provide space to build insights beyond therapy appointments.

  
  

Practical Tips to Reset Anxiety in Nature:

• You could try to start small, building in short moments outdoors, building up for longer times, 5 minutes to start with could help.

• Try a mindfulness exercise on a nature walk, focusing on your senses - what you can see, hear, taste, touch, smell.

• Bring nature indoors with plants or natural scents.

• Combine nature time with your CBT exercises or relaxation techniques.

  
  

You Are Not Alone on This Journey

Blending CBT with the healing power of nature offers a nurturing path toward managing anxiety. Overcoming Anxiety takes time - be kind to yourself as you explore what works best for you.

If you want to learn more about how CBT and nature can help your anxiety, feel free to get in touch via rebeccacoxcbt.co.uk.