Guest Post by Kaiya Tamlyn, 2025-2026 Sustainability Leadership Fellow and Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Human Dimensions of Natural Resources at Colorado State University

Being human can feel incredibly overwhelming these days. We are experiencing overlapping environmental crises like climate change, biodiversity loss, and unprecedented degradation of natural spaces. Beyond these environmental challenges, we are witnessing increases in human health concerns, such as mental health epidemics and higher levels of chronic diseases. Living through and thinking about these alarming problems, among many other serious and concerning issues in the US and abroad, can leave us feeling apathetic, disengaged, or hopeless. But science tells us that spending time in nature may be able to help. 

I have often joked about dropping out of my PhD program to start a regenerative farm. The challenges that I face in my day-to-day life make me want to turn off my computer and connect more deeply to the Earth, feel the soil between my fingers, and live in the rhythm of the seasons. While this may be an extreme example, it is a sentiment that I have heard from others again and again. When things get tough, we want to get into the mountains, relax by a river, go on a camping trip, or simply watch the birds in the backyard.  

As a researcher studying the well-being benefits of spending time in nature, people are excited to tell me about how much better they feel after they have been outside or about how spending time outdoors leaves them feeling rejuvenated and replenished. I love hearing these stories and enthusiastically respond that their experiences are backed by a continually growing body of scientific research. 

Nature Is Good for You 

At this point in time, the evidence is becoming hard to refute. Over the past three decades, study after study points to the idea that spending time in nature can improve your health and well-being. A very brief list of what we know so far includes that spending time in nature can:  

• Improve brain function (Mason et al., 2022) 
• Reduce stress (Daniels et al., 2022) 
• Support heart health (Yau & Loke, 2020) 
• Improve mental health, such as through increased mood and decreased symptoms of anxiety and depression (Barnes et al., 2019; Trøstrup et al., 2019)  
• Support immunity, such as by increasing NK cells, or proteins known to fight cancer (Li, 2022) 
• And that neighborhoods with more green spaces have lower rates of all-cause mortality (Rojas-Rueda et al., 2019) 

These examples are just the tip of the iceberg. If you are curious to learn more, the books The Nature Fix by Florence Williams and Forest Bathing: How Trees Can Help You Find Health and Happiness by Dr. Qing Li are great places to start!  

Nature is Good for More than Just You  

It has also been shown that spending time in nature can be good for things that stretch far beyond our personal well-being. Time outside encourages us to think and act in ways that are better for those around us, including our fellow human beings and the larger natural world. After we spend time in nature, we are more likely to act in ways that are pro-social, or are kind to other humans, and pro-environmental, or are kind to the planet. Research in this area is growing and starting to paint a clear picture – spending time in nature can make the world around us better, including through: 

• Improved social wellbeing (e.g., social cohesion, networking, & trust; Spano et al., 2020) 
• Increased feelings of social connection (Goldy & Piff, 2020) 
• More ethical decision making (Piff et al., 2015) 
• Increased generosity (Piff et al., 2015) 
• Elevated connection to and value for the natural world (Barragan-Jason et al., 2022) 
• Higher willingness to participate in diverse types of pro-environmental behaviors (Mackay & Schmitt, 2019) 
• And more! 

Important Considerations & Interconnected Solutions 

Now it is important to highlight that “nature” can look different for many people. Sometimes “nature” refers to the amount of tree cover or biodiversity in a neighborhood, while other times it could be a backpacking or rafting trip in remote areas. What research shows is that while being in nature for extended periods has positive effects, you do not need to go on a 7-day backcountry excursion or live in the middle of the woods to experience benefits. Often, spending 15 minutes near some trees or taking some mindful moments to explore what lives right outside your door can be enough. Even virtually engaging with nature, such as through documentaries or photographs, can have a positive influence.  

While I am very excited about the positive impacts that connecting to nature has, I am by no means saying that it is a cure-all. We still need to visit the doctor, talk to our therapist, and take our medication. Visiting nature also doesn’t get us off the hook for being good neighbors. We need to continue to take political and social action to support our community and the world around us. However, understanding that spending time in nature can be a tool in our toolbox as we work toward making the world a better, healthier place is important for helping us to feel less alone and more hopeful. 

With all this being said, just because western science is starting to catch on to the idea that spending time in and having a connection to nature might be good for both human and environmental well-being, it does not mean that these ideas are new. In fact, this knowledge has been voiced by Indigenous people around the world since time immemorial. Dr. Robin Wall Kimmerer, who is an author, scientist, and Indigenous woman, exquisitely outlines these teachings in her book Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants. I highly recommend reading or listening to Dr. Kimmerer’s work as she melds together multiple ways of understanding to highlight strategies that can help us proactively move forward by enhancing our relationship with the natural world.  

We are facing a time of profound global challenges, and we must find ways to overcome them. There are many solutions that are needed, some more complicated than others, and it can be daunting to think about achieving them all. When you feel overwhelmed, stuck, or full of despair, I encourage you to turn towards nature, whether it be your garden, a hike, the light of the setting sun through your window, or even photographs of times that you have spent outside. Directing your attention to these places may help you to feel better, inspire you to act in ways that help the planet, embolden you to support your community, or maybe all three!  At the very least, a little slice of nature may bring you some beauty, joy, or a peaceful moment of rest.  

References:  

Barnes, M. R., Donahue, M. L., Keeler, B. L., Shorb, C. M., Mohtadi, T. Z., & Shelby, L. J. (2019). Characterizing Nature and Participant Experience in Studies of Nature Exposure for Positive Mental Health: An Integrative Review. Frontiers in Psychology, 9, 2617. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02617 

Barragan-Jason, G., de Mazancourt, C., Parmesan, C., Singer, M. C., & Loreau, M. (2022). Human–nature connectedness as a pathway to sustainability: A global meta-analysis. Conservation Letters, 15(1), e12852. https://doi.org/10.1111/conl.12852 

Daniels, S., Clemente, D. B. P., Desart, S., Saenen, N., Sleurs, H., Nawrot, T. S., Malina, R., & Plusquin, M. (2022). Introducing nature at the work floor: A nature-based intervention to reduce stress and improve cognitive performance. International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health, 240, 113884. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijheh.2021.113884 

Goldy, S. P., & Piff, P. K. (2020). Toward a social ecology of prosociality: Why, when, and where nature enhances social connection. Current Opinion in Psychology, 32, 27–31. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2019.06.016 

Li, Q. (2022). Effects of forest environment (Shinrin-yoku/Forest bathing) on health promotion and disease prevention—The Establishment of “Forest Medicine”—. Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine, 27(0), 43–43. https://doi.org/10.1265/ehpm.22-00160 

Mackay, C. M. L., & Schmitt, M. T. (2019). Do people who feel connected to nature do more to protect it? A meta-analysis. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 65, 101323. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2019.101323 

Mason, L., Ronconi, A., Scrimin, S., & Pazzaglia, F. (2022). Short-Term Exposure to Nature and Benefits for Students’ Cognitive Performance: A Review. Educational Psychology Review, 34(2), 609–647. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-021-09631-8 

Piff, P. K., Dietze, P., Feinberg, M., Stancato, D. M., & Keltner, D. (2015). Awe, the small self, and prosocial behavior. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 108(6), 883–899. https://doi.org/10.1037/pspi0000018 

Rojas-Rueda, D., Nieuwenhuijsen, M. J., Gascon, M., Perez-Leon, D., & Mudu, P. (2019). Green spaces and mortality: A systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies. The Lancet Planetary Health, 3(11), e469–e477. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2542-5196(19)30215-3 

Spano, G., D’Este, M., Giannico, V., Carrus, G., Elia, M., Lafortezza, R., Panno, A., & Sanesi, G. (2020). Are Community Gardening and Horticultural Interventions Beneficial for Psychosocial Well-Being? A Meta-Analysis. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(10), 3584. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17103584 

Trøstrup, C. H., Christiansen, A. B., Stølen, K. S., Nielsen, P. K., & Stelter, R. (2019). The effect of nature exposure on the mental health of patients: A systematic review. Quality of Life Research, 28(7), 1695–1703. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-019-02125-9 

Yau, K. K.-Y., & Loke, A. Y. (2020). Effects of forest bathing on pre-hypertensive and hypertensive adults: A review of the literature. Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine, 25(1), 23. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12199-020-00856-7