The healing power of nature on mental health

Whether you’re 8 or 88, many benefits can be found through interacting with nature when it comes to not only physical health, but also mental health and emotional well-being.

The great thing is you don’t have to spend a cent to get access because no membership, appointment or pre-registration is required. All you need is to prioritize where you want to spend some of your time each day and how in order to get your daily dose.

20 minutes a day

According to the AARP, with research to support it, all it takes is 20 minutes a day to reap benefits. Regardless of whether you call it a forest bath or a trail walk, the wide range of benefits you can experience include feeling more relaxed, a boost in mood, improved health and an opportunity to strengthen your immune system.

Marin has endless choices among the many trails, waterways and parks that are easily accessible and offer different opportunities and experiences to interact with trees, wildlife, wildflowers, rivers, creeks, clean air, sunlight and more. It’s especially beautiful during the fall season when nature has its bountiful beauty on display.

Your backyard

If you’re limited physically, spending time looking out a window at birds or watching the leaves of a tree interacting with the wind can offer similar benefits. Your backyard and neighborhood are also ideal places to spend time outdoors, whether raking leaves, mulching or taking your dog for a walk.

The ideal approach is thinking in advance as to where you can fit in your time with nature each day so it becomes a part of your daily routine.

More information

Upcoming webinar on the healing power of nature by AARP

Join Sara Shaw, a nature-based engagement specialist and horticultural therapist with over a decade of experience using the healing power of nature to enhance well-being, on Oct. 28 at 11 a.m. for an engaging AARP New York webinar, “Rewild Your Well-Being: Nature’s Role in Mental & Emotional Health.” Passionate about holistic care and supporting individuals — particularly those experiencing memory loss — Sara will share how to harness the power of nature to thrive into later life.

What you’ll discover:

• Practical ways to bring nature into your daily routine — whether through outdoor activities, gardening or simply enjoying the beauty around you.

• Research-backed benefits of nature, from lowering stress hormones to enhancing memory and focus.

• Insights for caregivers on how connecting with nature can improve well-being for both themselves and those they care for.

• Opportunities to share experiences with a supportive community of participants.

Why it matters:

• Spending just 20 minutes in a park can lower stress levels and improve your overall mood.

• Forest bathing and time in green spaces boost immune cell activity, helping protect your body from illness.

• Walking in nature improves memory and attention, giving your brain a natural boost.

• Engaging with nature fosters resilience, social connection and emotional balance —especially important for caregivers.

This webinar is designed for anyone looking to enrich their life and well-being through meaningful connections with nature. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn, connect and grow.

Register: https://events.aarp.org/ReWild

Health benefits of being outside

According to the American Psychological Association (APA), spending at least two hours per week out in nature can have benefits for both your physical and mental health. Whether you head outside for a two-hour session or break it into smaller events, you’ll get the benefit.

Spending time in nature may benefit your health in many ways, including:

• Hospital patients healed faster if their rooms had a view of a forest rather than a brick wall, or even of a nature photograph rather than an abstract painting.

• A leisurely woodland walk reduced blood pressure, heart rate, stress hormone levels and fight-or-flight nerve activity.

• Exposure to the scent of pine trees increased white blood cell counts by 20%, and the effect lasted for weeks afterward.

• Spending time in nature improved scores on tests of creativity by 50%.

• A walk in nature reduced activity in the amygdala, a key brain structure in processing fear and stress, as compared to walking in a low-greenspace environment.