Nature and Depression: Small Ways to Feel Connected Again
Depression can leave you spending entire days indoors, barely interacting with anything living and feeling further removed from the world every day.
I know that disconnection. I've spent stretches of my life feeling like I didn't belong with people and struggling to find anything meaningful to do. Reconnecting with nature has helped me through more depressive episodes than I can count. It's one of the resources I return to when I'm really struggling.
I wish I could give you something that worked every single time. It frustrates me that I can't. I've had to accept that managing depression often means trying several things, including things that haven't helped before. Sometimes an approach finally gives you something on a day when you weren't expecting it to.
That's how I want you to approach these ideas. Choose something you can manage, give it a chance, and pay attention to what it does for you.
Nature and Depression: Find a Connection You Can Actually Feel
Two symptoms I find especially difficult to work through are isolation and worthlessness. Depression can make you withdraw from the world, then leave you feeling terrible about how little you're participating in it.
For me, the natural world offers a sense of belonging I've often struggled to find around people. I grew up spending time in the woods and on a farm. That connection has been there for a long time. I feel like I'm part of something when I'm around trees, grass, and birds.
You may have a very different history. You may live in an apartment or have barely spent time outdoors. You can begin developing that connection through ordinary things within reach. Caring for a plant, preparing food, or noticing a bird outside gives you a way to participate.
The broader idea of using connection with nature to support mental health is often called eco-therapy. Here, I want to focus on nine practical ways you can explore that connection in your own life.
1. Open a Window to Give Your Attention Somewhere Else to Go
When you're depressed, you can spend hours taking in very little from your surroundings. The temperature stays the same. The room is quiet. Meanwhile, your mind keeps returning to guilt, shame, or everything you believe you've done wrong.
Opening a window introduces something different. A breeze touches your face. You hear birds or leaves moving. The air feels cooler or warmer than the room.
I know how simple that sounds. But sometimes those sensations give me enough of an interruption to loosen the rumination I've been stuck in. On a day when leaving home feels overwhelming, opening a window may be something you can actually do.
Give yourself a moment to notice what's coming through it. You can start there.
2. Take a Walk That Brings Several Supports Together
Being told to go for a walk when you're struggling with depression can feel dismissive. I've heard that advice used carelessly too. I still think walking deserves a place among the resources you can use.
A walk brings several things together. You're moving your body, getting outside, and taking in different sights and sounds. You can add music, a podcast, or the company of someone you feel comfortable with.
I call this stacking: one activity gives you access to several supports at once. That can be useful when your energy is limited and doing several separate activities would feel exhausting.
Choose a walk you can realistically manage. Morning walks have been especially helpful for me. Try that if it fits your day, or choose another time that makes getting outside more achievable.
3. Cook Something Simple You Can Enjoy
Cooking gives you a chance to take a few ingredients and create something that meets a real need. You have to eat, and making food for yourself can give you a tangible sense that your actions accomplished something.
That matters when depression keeps telling you that nothing you do has value. I've found something very satisfying about turning vegetables, herbs, and protein into a meal I enjoy.
Work With the Energy You Have
I understand that energy, focus, and motivation can be extremely low. Cooking every meal from scratch may be completely out of reach. Start with something that uses two or three ingredients. Keep feeding yourself in the ways you can manage while you build that skill.
With repetition, familiar meals can become easier to prepare. You may eventually have something you know how to make even during an episode, because you've done it enough times that it requires less concentration.
4. Grow Something and Notice What Your Care Does
An indoor plant, a windowsill herb garden, or a small patch in your yard gives you something living to tend to. Choose an option that fits your space and the care you can provide.
When you see new growth after watering and tending a plant, you have something concrete to notice. Your actions helped something living. That can be meaningful during periods when you struggle to see any contribution you're making.
You can also connect growing with cooking. Pick basil from a plant you've cared for and add it to pasta sauce. You've participated in growing and preparing something that nourishes you. I find that kind of connection powerful.
5. Consider an Animal Companion You Can Care For
I've worked with many people who describe their pets as an important reason they keep going. Caring for an animal can bring companionship and a relationship into days that otherwise feel very empty.
That relationship comes with responsibility. Consider the animal's needs, the cost, and the care you can sustain during difficult periods. Different animals require different kinds of attention. Take time to understand those needs before deciding.
I've had a gerbil, lizards, and fish. Your connection with an animal can take different forms, depending on your circumstances.
I also want to be honest about attachment. Losing a pet can be devastating. I've seen how deeply that grief affects people. Give the decision the thought it deserves, including both the connection and the commitment involved.
6. Care for Your Body as Something Living That Needs You
You are part of the natural world too. Your body needs water, food, movement, and sleep. Depression can make responding to those needs feel strangely difficult, especially when you don't care much about yourself.
I've been stuck in that cycle: I don't care about myself, so I don't do much to care for myself. Waiting for that feeling to spontaneously change has rarely helped me.
What has helped is beginning with the act of care. Drink some water. Eat something. Give yourself an opportunity to rest. Choose one physical need you can respond to today.
I've found that caring for something helps me care about it. That includes my own body. You can practice looking after yourself while you're still struggling to feel that you deserve the attention.
7. Photograph or Create Art From Something That Catches Your Attention
I've had my mood lift during a depressive episode because I saw a particular tree. Something about it caught my attention at the right moment, and it gave me something I needed that day.
I realize that can sound a little sappy. I'm sharing it because those moments have mattered to me.
Photography, drawing, or painting can give you a way to spend more time noticing the natural world. Take a photograph of something you want to remember. Bring a sketchbook outside. Use whatever tools you already have.
Depression can make everything look dull and leave you with very little interest. Give yourself room to notice one thing that holds your attention, even briefly. You can save that photograph or drawing and return to it later.
8. Build a Connection With Wildlife Outside Your Home
You can develop a relationship with living things that stay outdoors. A bird feeder is one example I talk about. You maintain it, notice which birds visit, and become familiar with what's happening outside your window.
I sometimes call these “nature pets.” They live their own lives, and you get to observe a small part of them. A trail camera can also give you a way to see animals you would otherwise miss.
Use care with wildlife. I've learned that encouraging certain animals to visit can create problems. Observing them gives you a way to develop that interest without bringing them into your home.
The connection may be quiet and simple. You start recognizing the birds that come back. You have something living to notice and a reason to pay attention to tomorrow.
9. Try Sleeping Outside When Your Circumstances Allow
Sleeping in a tent or hammock gives you a different experience of the natural world. Pay attention to the weather and choose a safe, suitable place before trying it.
For me, there's something special about settling down as it gets dark and waking to daylight, cool air, and birds beginning their morning. I feel more connected to the world around me when I experience those changes directly.
This takes more preparation than opening a window or tending a plant. Consider it an option to explore when you have the capacity and circumstances for it. I've found those mornings meaningful enough that I wanted to include them here.
Keep Exploring What Helps You Reconnect
Begin with one thing that fits today. Open the window. Prepare something simple to eat. Notice the birds outside. Give yourself a chance to experience what that small action offers, without demanding an immediate change in your mood.
Some days, you may get very little from it. On another day, the same action may help you feel a little more connected or give you something meaningful to do. I keep returning to nature because I've experienced that difference many times. I hope these approaches help you find moments you can return to as well.
You can hear more about each approach in my video below, where I share how this connection has helped me through difficult periods.
(If this post hit home, you’ll probably connect with my new book, The Light Between the Leaves. It’s a practical guide for the days when “try harder” stops working.
-Scott
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FAQ
Q. Does asking someone about suicide make them more likely to do it?
No. Research summarized by NIMH indicates that directly asking about suicidal thoughts does not cause or increase suicidal thoughts or behavior. Asking clearly can help identify someone who needs support.
Q. What should I say when someone tells me they are suicidal?
Take what they are saying seriously. Listen without judgment, ask directly about suicide, and avoid debating whether they “should” feel this way. Statements such as “I’m glad you told me” and “I want to understand what’s happening” can keep the conversation open while you help connect them with support. 988 similarly recommends being direct, listening, remaining nonjudgmental, and avoiding lectures or glib reassurance.
Q. Should I leave someone alone if they are suicidal?
If someone says they intend to kill themselves or appears to be in immediate danger, do not leave them alone. Seek emergency or crisis assistance and involve another trusted person when appropriate.
Q. Can I call 988 about someone else?
Yes. In the United States, 988 encourages people concerned about a friend or loved one to contact the Lifeline for guidance and information about available resources.
Q. What should happen after the immediate suicidal crisis passes?
Keep following up. Supportive ongoing contact after a suicidal crisis or discharge from care can play an important role in suicide prevention. Help the person stay connected with professional care and follow through on the practical support you promised.
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