Connect with Nature Today. Your Calm Will Thank You.

Marty Wolner | Six-Figure Entrepreneur Coach

4 min readDec 9, 2020

Are you taking opportunities to get away from your daily routine and the things that may be causing you stress and anxiety?

Maybe your day is feeling stale and uninspired and you could use a jolt of fresh energy and passion.

Moving out of your normal surroundings and changing the energy sensations around you can be healthy and make you feel calmer and happier.

Your brain will bathed in pleasurable neurochemicals like dopamine, serotonin and more!

There are probably some really brain healthy and body healthy things just waiting for you closeby to explore and experience.

Have you connected with nature today?

Most people just don’t make it a priority to get outside. Many people, especially children, may suffer from Nature Deficit Disorder, which is not an official mental disorder, but is proven to affect behavior.

(Especially during the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown, with the reduction in overall activity and social interaction, your chances of spending time outside are reduced.)

Nature-deficit disorder is the idea that human beings, especially children, are spending less time outdoors, and the belief that this change results in a wide range of behavioral problems.

Spending time in the great outdoors has been scientifically proven to reduce stress levels, help you with your focus and concentration, and rejuvenate your mind and body.

You really just need to go outside to begin to experience the benefits of nature’s emotionally regulating powers.

Here’s what a deeper connection with nature can do for you physically and mentally:

1 -> Fresh air will improve your blood flow and blood pressure.

The fresh air will begin the energy change in your body. In polluted or indoor environments, your body has to work harder to get the oxygen it needs to function, which raises your heart rate and blood pressure.

2 -> Higher levels of oxygen makes you feel better

Levels of oxygen in your brain are tied to levels of serotonin, the neurotransmitter that affects your mood, appetite, memory, social behavior, and other processes. Breathing fresh air can help regulate your levels of serotonin and promote your happiness and well-being.

3 -> There’s bacteria in the soil that will make you feel better, too.

Nature’s calming effect comes from not only the fresh air, but also the ground. A harmless bacteria commonly found in soil acts as a natural antidepressant by increasing the release and metabolism of serotonin in the parts of your brain that control cognitive function and mood. The bacteria also helps your immune system. (Read the research here)

4 -> Natural light is good for your sleep-wake cycle

Taking in proper amounts of sunlight each day will regulate your body’s melatonin production, which helps you feel refreshed and relaxed. Melatonin is what helps make you sleepy at night. If you have the right amounts, you’ll sleep better and wake up feeling rejuvenated.

5 -> Being outdoors will encourage calmer breathing

Once you go outdoors, your breathing patterns will change. While connecting with nature, you can intentionally breathe deeper, from your belly, to activate the calming part of your nervous system. With the looming stress of time commitments and ambitious outcomes upon you, you have a built-in tool to empower you to instantly stop emotional escalation.

6 -> Nature will change the chemistry of your brain

Your brain is constantly being showered with neurochemicals 24/7. Your main stress hormone, cortisol, is released when your brain and body are trying to help you physiologically calm down. Spending time in nature and performing repetitive tasks like gardening, for instance, will help lower your cortisol production, which will make you feel better. (Read about that study here)

7 -> Being outside increases your intake of Vitamin D

Vitamin D is the sunshine vitamin and regulates your body’s absorption of calcium and phosphorous, which helps you have healthy bones and teeth. It also helps your overall immune system, fighting virus and disease (including the Covid-19 coronavirus). Vitamin D is also known to reduce depression and boost weight loss. (That may be a surprise. Read about that here and here)

8 -> Noticing and interacting with nature is mindful

By being able to stay in the moment and tantalize your senses with the colors, textures, and smells of nature will help your brain relax from thinking about the past or future. The part of your brain that processes stress is also the part that can enjoy nature. Being outdoors helps your sensory calming process.

Just ten or fifteen minutes of mindfully noticing and interacting with nature can actually positively change the architecture of your brain.

Will you make the commitment? How can you find ways today to connect with nature? Can you go for a walk outside? Do you have a friend or pet to spend time outside with?

Being intentional and purposeful with finding time to connect with nature, will help you be calmer and happier.

(BONUS: Here are 9 simple thing you can do right now to reduce your stress and anxiety)