Boost your mental health and wellbeing with nature even when you can’t be outdoors.

Nature therapy (a technique that encompasses a variety of techniques like forest bathing, earthing, and others) can boost your mental health and overall wellbeing. But sometimes it’s difficult to get outdoors to experience all the healing and mood boosting benefits nature has to offer. No worries! You can bring nature indoors to get some of the same powerful, rejuvenating perks.

Reasons you may want to bring nature indoors

There are a lot of reasons you may want to bring nature indoors. A big one is: you enjoy nature and want to experience as much as possible — even inside! 

In some cases you may want to bring nature indoors because you’re not able to get outside. There may be many reasons for that, including:

• Physical Health. For people who experience mobility issues it can be difficult to venture outdoors. People who are immunocompromised may limit their exposure to the outdoors. Even severe allergies can make being outdoors unpleasant.
• Mental Health. There are many mental health conditions that can make getting out of the house difficult. Depression and anxiety in particular may make someone reticent to venture outside of their home. 
• Severe Climate. As the world continues to experience a climate emergency, conditions like extreme heat, cold, and storms are becoming more and more common. This can limit people’s ability to be outdoors.

Whatever the reason (and there are more!) bringing nature indoors can be a simple endeavor that can have a huge positive impact on your wellbeing.

Where to start: Nature and your five senses

We experience our world through sight, smell, hearing, taste, and touch. One of the key therapeutic aspects of being out in nature is its unique ability to engage all of your senses. 

Sight

• Nature art and photography. Visual depictions of nature in photography or art may seem like cheating — but it’s not! Just looking at images of nature can boost your mood.
• Watching a nature livestream. Streaming services and places like YouTube usually have a selection of nature livestreams you can tune in to and watch seemingly endless hours of the ocean, beautiful mountaintops, woodland streams, African plains, and more. Bonus: this will also appeal to your sense of hearing.
• Indoor water feature. Setting up a water fountain or other water feature can have a soothing effect. If you’re extra ambitious, you could set up an aquariums with fish, or an aquascape that only contains underwater plants. The sound of flowing water also taps into your hearing sense.
• Plants. This one is obvious! Plant life is everywhere in nature, and fortunately many plants can thrive indoors as well. Plants have the added bonus of improving the air quality in our homes, and an oxygen boost. The color green psychologically evokes feelings of balance and harmony and can help reduce anxiety. Touch-friendly plants, like moss, can also appeal to your sense of touch.
• Flowers. Okay, so flowers can also fall into the plant category but flower arrangements are effective, too. Cheerful colors, interesting shapes, and soothing scents all make flowers a great indoor nature element.
• Light. Light therapy, also called phototherapy or bright light therapy, uses a bright lamp to mimic outdoor daylight. Another option is opting for softer lighting for a moonlit effect.
• Items from Nature. There are so many options here! Some items from nature you may want to have indoors include: rocks and crystals, bark and branches, feathers, sand and seashells, pressed leaves and flowers, and so on. Be sure to check local and federal laws, since there are some restrictions of what items from nature you can have.

Smell

• Essential oils. You can use essential oils with a diffuser (there are mist, mistless, or heat varieties), room spray, on your body as a solid or spray perfume, or using jewelry (lava stones can hold essential oils, as can some vials and lockets). Do be careful of any skin or other sensitivities you may have, and be sure whatever you use is pet safe.
• Plants. Various flowers are an obvious scent choice, but many people also enjoy the smell of fresh and dried herbs like thyme, lemongrass, lavender and others. Herbs can be made into wreaths, sewn into small pillows, or kept in sachets. 
• Citrus. Many people love the invigorating smell of citrus, like lemons and oranges. You can peel and zest these to enjoy their fragrance, or you can opt for essential oils.
• Get woodsy. The scent of wood like cedar, pine, and sandalwood are great to bring into your home. Tree branches, pieces of wood, or even items carved from these materials can have a great scent. 
• Simmer pots. Putting a pot of water to boil on the stove with some scent-rich culinary elements like oranges and cinnamon or lavender and lemon can also appeal to your sense of smell.

Hearing

• Sound machine. Using a soundmachine with nature sounds pre-programmed is a great way to appeal to your sense of hearing. Some soundmachines also have visual elements, like soothing light that mimic sunrises or candles. Common sounds are rain, ocean, birdsong, and wind. There are also apps for your smartphone that can fill this role.
• Nature playlist. You can curate your own soundscape by creating a nature playlist. Many music streaming services have playlists and albums that are exclusively nature sounds.
• Birdsong. The sound of birds singing is a popular nature element. An open window may bring birdsong into your life, but a sound machine, playlist, app, or nature livestream can all work, too.
• Water. The sound of moving water can be particularly soothing. You can get this effect with a water feature (as mentioned above!) which also appeals to your sense of sight. You can also just use a sound machine or playlist if you like.
• Nature livestream. This is another nature element that uses sight, but nature livestreams also often include sound. A woodland stream option could give you both water and birdsong, for example.

Taste

• Herbs. The taste of herbs can evoke the feeling of being in nature, as well as their smell and texture. Thyme, mint, oregano, and rosemary are all popular choices. Use these in your cooking, or try them as an infused water or tea. (I’m a big fan of lavender and cucumber sparkling water!)
• Citrus and berries. The scent of citrus we’ve covered, but you can bring them into your sense of taste as well. It’s almost like tasting sunshine. Berries are also a great option (think strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries). This is an especially great seasonal experience.
• Get earthy. Noshing on foods that have an earthy flavor like mushrooms, sprouts, or root vegetables like carrots can evoke a sense of being more connected to nature. This can be especially true if they’re not usually a part of your menu.
• Go grainy. Similarly, whole grains can give you that close-to-nature feeling. Try bread or rolls with sprouted grains and seeds.
• Check out your local farmer’s market! Okay, this technically means going outside but I had to make the case for exploring what is grown locally in your area. The taste of fresh, seasonal food grown in your area is often an entirely different (and more rich) sensory experience.

Touch

• Texture. When considering nature elements to bring indoors, think of the touch experience as well as your sight experience. Rough wood and bark, soft moss and feathers, bundles of fresh herbs, woven grass, and more can also give great 
• Cooling and Warming. I love the feeling of warm stone under my bare feet. A cool breeze or ice on your pulse points can feel amazing. Temperature is a strong element in nature, so consider playing around with it.
• Flowing water. If you have a rainwater showerhead, you’re set! You can also try soaking your hands or feet in a large bowl or basin with pebbles or smooth stones on the bottom to mimic a stream. Bonus points if you’re able to get that water flowing (think along the lines of a bubbling foot spa).
• Feel the breeze. A fan, especially if it oscillates, can give you the feeling of an outdoor breeze. An open window can work, too!
• Turn up the bass. Some sounds can actually be felt, so they do double sensory duty! This usually requires a good sound system with decent bass, but listening to your thunderstorm playlist, for example, with that set up could be an amazing sensory experience.

Make it personal

Take some time to think about your personal experiences in nature, reflecting on your senses. Maybe you loved visiting your grandmother’s garden in the late spring and remember the scent of peonies. Perhaps you spent a memorable summer at camp amongst pine stress, crackling bonfires and chirping crickets. These experiences can be powerful sensory memories you can bring into your indoor nature therapy efforts.

Setting up a Nature Nook

You can choose to add nature elements all throughout your home, or you might want to create a dedicated nature space I like to call a Nature Nook.

• Pick a space in your house. This can be a corner in your bedroom, a spot in your living room, or a spare office space — wherever you like! Consider whether you’d like to enjoy your Nature Nook privately, or if you want to have it someplace visible and accessible to others.
• Consider light and air. Locating your Nature Nook by a window that has access to nature outdoors can be a great way to let in natural light and circulating air. If that’s not feasible, you can set up your own lighting with lamps or string lights, and some air movement with a fan or air purifier.
• Go vertical and horizontal. When creating your Nature Nook, think about what is below and above you, as well as all around you. Using shelves, hanging plants, and comfortable seating can help give you a more immersive experience.
• Add your nature elements. Remember to incorporate natural elements that will appeal to all five senses if you can. It’s your Nature Nook, so surround yourself with what you love!

If you have a Nature Nook I’d love to see it! Email me, or share it on your favorite social network with #WILDKEPT #NatureNook

Connect with Nature through a Nature Therapy Session

A great way to connect with nature — either indoors or outdoors — is by working with a nature therapy practitioner. A nature therapy practitioner can guide you through nature therapy exercises and help you gain positive physical, mental, and psychological benefits that cultivate personal growth and insight. You can learn more (and schedule a session with me) here!