Find Stress Relief with Nature-Based Therapy
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Creating art in the outdoors can be a healing experience with so many positive supports on your well-being. We can all recognize the universal connection of nature. Often overlooked, going outside can bring us a sensory experience. You can view the vast blue sky with its puffy white clouds and the springy green grass beneath your feet. Nature has its own circadian rhythms, and we share in this relationship. Plants and animals show us the vibe of mindfulness, accepting of the current moment without judgement. We can observe our own somatic experiences to help our spirit flow much like the changes in the weather.
How does nature-based art therapy practices help us? One research study demonstrated while using virtual reality headsets that just 6 minutes of exposure to the outdoors was superior to sitting indoors with no exposure (1). Even just viewing nature can boost your self-esteem, life satisfaction, and happiness and reduce anxiety (2). In an analysis of 18 research publications, the sounds of nature can lower tress and irritability (3). Another small research study found that medical students who created using a visual journaling process reduced their anxiety and negativity (4). The amazing feeling of awe, often experienced in nature can shift our world view and help us feel more connected, have a positive mood and experience less materialism (5).
Group nature printing at Blackwater Heritage Trail.
In my own travels as a fellow human and art therapist, I experienced the healing benefits of nature by visiting over 20 national parks and numerous state parks with my family. My outdoor experiences inspired me to do Visual Journaling which prompted offering community events in parks, such as the Gulf Islands National Seashore, Blackwater Heritage State Trail and Blackwater River State Forest at Bear Lake. Participants were mindfully guided with sunset gesture paintings, ink printing with found nature materials and making nature mandalas. Communities of “Ladies Who Hike,” beach lovers, and trail runners and walkers all gained a way to express their connection and love with nature.
If you’re looking for help addressing your stress issues and desire to get to the root of the problem, feel free to reach out for a free consult.
You can also learn more about the work I do on the Meet Andrea page.
Sending you good flow,
Andrea Sutrick, ATR-BC, LMHC
Sources
(1) Browning, M. H. E., Mimnaugh, K. J., van Riper, C. J., Laurent, H. K., & LaValle, S. M. (2020). Can simulated nature support mental health? Comparing short, single-doses of 360-degree nature videos in virtual reality with the outdoors. Frontiers in Psychology, 10, 2667. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02667
(2) Soga, M., Evans, M. J., Tsuchiya, K., & Fukano, Y. (2020, November 17). A room with a green view: The importance of nearby nature for mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. Ecological Applications: Ecological Society of America, 31(2), e2248, 1-10. doi: 10.1002/eap.2248
(3) Buxton, R. T., Pearson, A. L., Allou, C. Fristrup, K., & Wittemyer, G. (2021). A synthesis of health benefits of natural sounds and their distribution in national parks. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 118(14), 1-6, e2013097118. doi: https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2013097118
(4) Mercer, A., Warson, E., Zhao, J. (2010). Visual journaling: An intervention to influence stress, anxiety and affect levels in medical students. The Arts in Psychotherapy, 37(10), 143-148. doi: 10.1016/j.aip.2009.12.003