How time outdoors can support your mental health, trauma recovery, and burnout healing.
If you’ve ever stepped outside, taken a deep breath of fresh air, and immediately felt a sense of calm wash over you—you’re not imagining things. There’s a growing body of research showing a connection between nature and nervous system regulation, helping us feel more grounded, present, and emotionally balanced.
In a world filled with screens, deadlines, and constant stimulation, nature offers a return to simplicity. And for anyone navigating stress, trauma, or burnout, that simplicity can be incredibly healing.
Does Being Outside Regulate the Nervous System?
The scoop on nature and nervous system regulation:
Yes—spending time in nature has been shown to help regulate the nervous system by activating the parasympathetic (rest and digest) response. When we’re in natural settings, our heart rate slows, our cortisol levels decrease, and our breath becomes deeper and more regulated.
This response is especially helpful for people with a dysregulated nervous system, often caused by chronic stress, anxiety, trauma, or neurodivergence like ADHD.
A few nature-based activities that support regulation include:
- Going for a walk (especially in a forest, park, or trail)
- Sitting by a body of water (river, lake, ocean)
- Gardening or working with your hands in the soil
- Spending time with animals outdoors
- Mindfully noticing sounds like birdsong, rustling leaves, or rain
Nature helps create a felt sense of safety—one of the most important ingredients in trauma healing.
What Does a Dysregulated Nervous System Feel Like?
When your nervous system is dysregulated, it can feel like you’re stuck in survival mode. You might swing between hyperarousal (anxiety, panic, irritability) and hypoarousal (numbness, shutdown, exhaustion). This state can make everyday tasks feel overwhelming and relationships harder to navigate.
Common signs of a dysregulated nervous system include:
- Difficulty focusing or making decisions
- Trouble sleeping or chronic fatigue
- Feeling on edge or constantly overwhelmed
- Sudden emotional outbursts or emotional numbness
- Digestive issues, headaches, or chronic pain
- Feeling disconnected from your body or surroundings
For people recovering from trauma or burnout, these symptoms are often persistent and can interfere with daily life. Nature offers a gentle, non-invasive way to start coming back into balance.
What Does a Regulated Nervous System Feel Like?
A regulated nervous system doesn’t mean you’re always calm—it means your system is flexible and resilient. You’re able to return to a baseline of safety and stability even after a stressful event.
When your nervous system is regulated, you may notice:
- A greater sense of emotional balance
- More energy and mental clarity
- Easier sleep and digestion
- The ability to stay grounded in challenging moments
- A stronger connection to your body, intuition, and relationships
Regulation helps you feel safe—not just mentally, but physiologically. And that sense of safety is what allows the brain and body to heal.
How Do You Fix a Dysregulated Nervous System?
Healing a dysregulated nervous system isn’t about “fixing” it—it’s about supporting it. That often starts with small, consistent practices that signal safety to your body.
Nature can play a key role in that healing. Here’s how to start:
1. Start Small and Often
You don’t need a cabin in the woods or hours of free time. Even 10 minutes a day outside can make a difference. Take a short walk, sit on your porch, or tend to a few potted plants.
2. Use Your Senses
Let nature guide you back into your body. Notice the texture of leaves, the scent of fresh air, the sound of rustling trees. This kind of mindful awareness helps bring your nervous system out of fight-or-flight mode.
3. Pair It With Movement
Walking, stretching, or light gardening while outside can be particularly grounding. Movement helps metabolize stress hormones and release stuck energy from the body.
4. Make It a Ritual
Try beginning or ending your day with a short dose of nature. Creating a consistent rhythm helps your nervous system feel supported and safe.
5. Seek Out Natural Light
Sunlight exposure—especially in the morning—helps regulate circadian rhythms, boost serotonin, and support more restful sleep, which is crucial for nervous system health.
The Bottom Line About Nature and Nervous System Regulation
Whether you’re recovering from trauma, living with chronic stress, or trying to navigate burnout, nature offers a gentle, accessible tool for healing. By spending intentional time outside, you give your nervous system the signals it needs to come out of survival mode and into a state of safety, connection, and regulation.
Healing isn’t always about doing more—it’s often about returning to what’s simple, steady, and grounding. And few things are more grounding than the earth beneath your feet.
If you’re working through chronic stress, trauma, or burnout, our therapy team offers holistic, trauma-informed support to help you find relief, reconnect with yourself, and heal at the nervous system level. Contact us today to learn more about working together.