Feeling Anxious? Spend Time with Nature
Brian M. Murray, MS, IMH “Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience.” ― Ralph Waldo Emerson Have you ever wondered why people gravitate toward nature when they want to relax? A walk on the beach, sitting by the lake, laying on a blanket at the park, standing in awe of waterfalls, a river, a mountain view, walking a nature trail, camping, fishing, kayaking, canoeing, backpacking and the list goes on. How come this is so attractive? Look at music videos during church, rarely is there one that depicts scenery that does not involve nature as the setting. Coincidence? Hardly, there is a connection between our stress and anxiety levels and spending time in the great outdoors. While not true for everyone, most people marvel at nature, it’s peaceful and found living on its own terms. Sure, we attempt to bottle it up and put it into a zoo or theme park, but when we find it out in the wild there is something special that happens in those moments. History and R...