Nature and Mental Health: Root Yourself in the Moment

Theme: Grounding through Nature

Nature has a way of helping us feel rooted — literally and emotionally. When life feels overwhelming, connecting with the natural world can bring us back to the present moment. Connecting with nature doesn’t have to mean hiking mountains. It’s about noticing and experiencing the natural world, wherever you are and however you can.

Ideas to try:

• Sit outside and notice the feeling of the ground beneath you.

• Hold a small stone, leaf, or flower and focus on its texture and details.

• If outdoor access is difficult, sit by an open window and take in the sounds of birds or the scent of fresh air.

• Watch a nature video or listen to an outdoor soundscape — like streams, rain, or birdsong.

• Take a “noticing walk” — walk slowly and try to find five things you’ve never noticed before.

• Lie on your back and watch the clouds move across the sky.

• Gently touch tree bark, leaves, or grass and notice the different textures.

• Dip your fingers into a bowl of water and imagine it’s a cool river or ocean.

• Bring a small plant indoors and tend to it, observing it each day.

• Close your eyes and imagine yourself in your favorite outdoor place. Visualize the colors, sounds, and smells.

• Sketch a leaf, flower, or tree branch, focusing on its intricate patterns.

• Sit under a tree and listen to the wind moving through its branches.

• Take photos of small natural details — a raindrop, a pattern in a rock, the veins of a leaf.

• Watch the sunrise or sunset, even briefly, and notice how the light changes.

• Collect a few natural objects (stones, shells, pinecones) and create a small “nature altar” in your home.

Please make a donation to the Maps Hope and Healing Fund at Online Donation Form – MAPS!