Nature & Wellbeing: Why Going Outside Is an Emotional Reset
There’s a reason you feel calmer after a walk in the woods or sitting by the sea. Nature steadies the mind, softens the body’s stress response and draws us back into the present moment. It reconnects us with something steady and enduring, a rhythm larger than the one we try to control.
This connection isn’t just poetic, it’s physiological. A 2019 study published in Scientific Reports found that spending just 120 minutes per week in nature significantly improves mental wellbeing. Even short bursts matter: research from the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (2021) showed that as little as 10 minutes of light exposure to natural environments can reduce stress, anger and anxiety. The Mental Health Foundation and European Environment Agency have also highlighted that regular access to green space is linked with lower risks of depression and improved emotional balance.
The reason lies in our biology. Time in nature supports the parasympathetic nervous system, the “rest and digest” mode that helps lower cortisol, steady heart rate and ease tension. Natural light synchronises circadian rhythms, helping improve sleep, while the sensory experience of being outdoors, sight, sound, scent and touch, restores attention and emotional regulation. Even looking at images of nature or hearing natural sounds can lift mood and release feel good hormones such as serotonin and endorphins.
The Science of Green Calm
When you walk through a park, sit under a tree or simply look out at the sky, your brain shifts gears. The sensory simplicity of nature allows the prefrontal cortex, responsible for decision making and worry, to rest. This mental quiet enables recovery from overstimulation and restores your ability to focus. Researchers call this Attention Restoration Theory: the idea that natural environments replenish the cognitive resources depleted by constant information and digital overload.
Nature also evokes what psychologists describe as soft fascination, a gentle, effortless form of attention that calms the mind while maintaining engagement. This blend of tranquillity and awareness can reduce anxiety, improve mood and enhance creativity.
Small Nature Based Habits That Make a Difference
Go for a 15-minute walk outside without headphones and notice what you can see, hear and feel.
Open a window and tune into natural sounds; the wind, birds, or rain — for one mindful minute.
Sit under a tree or near water and take time to breathe slowly, letting your senses lead.
Place plants or nature imagery in your workspace to bring a touch of the outdoors in.
When walking or exercising, occasionally pause. Look around. Let yourself “stand and stare.”
These moments are deceptively simple but deeply restorative. You don’t need untouched wilderness or perfect conditions, your nervous system just needs a reminder of stillness and space.
The ESO Perspective
At EmotionalSkills Online (ESO), we recognise that connecting with nature is more than a leisure activity, it is an essential emotional regulation tool. Guided imagery, breathwork and grounding techniques can help recreate the same physiological calm that nature provides.
Whether you walk in the park, notice a patch of sky between buildings, or sit quietly with a plant on your desk, these small acts reconnect you to the present moment. They teach your nervous system what safety feels like again.
A Closing Thought
Being in nature, or simply noticing it, is one of the simplest, most accessible ways to reset emotionally. The air, the light, the rustle of leaves, the rhythm of breath; they all work together to remind you that life does not have to be hurried to be meaningful.
Your body already knows this truth: that nature, in its quiet generosity, gives balance freely. All you have to do is step outside, or simply look, and let it.