The Outdoors as Stress Therapy

Submitted to Piney Woods Journal in 2019 

Many Americans experience high levels of stress in pressure-filled and sometimes toxic work environments.  Other people today feel dangerous stress due to layoffs or limited opportunities to secure jobs that meet their financial needs or expectations.  High and sustained levels of stress often accompany human coping responses that are dysfunctional.   Alcohol and opiate drug abuse, and even suicides, are among these responses.   Recent books and documentaries, such as The United States of Stress, and the HBO’s documentary, “One Nation Under Stress,” describe these trends.  White, middle-aged, working-class Americans have been identified as the population segment most affected by these trends.

Both men and women can be frustrated and disillusioned with life challenges and begin to lose their self-discipline resulting in excessive weight gain or obesity from consuming too much "comfort" or “fast” food.  Lack of exercise and other poor lifestyle choices help explain some recent and disturbing health statistics, such as the recent four years of declining longevity rates of Americans.  Some critics place part of the blame on corporate advertising for promoting desired products that offer firms increasing short-term profits while actually harming longer-term public well-being.   

Never before have there been more obvious needs and therapeutic benefits of quality time spent outdoors.   Walking and recreational exercise, human reconnection with the broader natural environment, and time away from workplace and other stressors seem very basic and rational coping strategies.  We might easily ask why these important stress-related benefits aren’t more commonly practiced.  Why aren’t our many state and local parks filled at lunchtime, after work, and on weekends and holidays with more stress-affected individuals and groups?  One partial explanation provided by scientists is that high levels of stress activate more the upper areas of the human brain associated with largely emotional responses.  Instead of activating lower areas of the brain that govern more rational and longer-term thinking about possible solutions or coping strategies, high stress be an almost paralyzing and chronic condition.  Lack of sleep, particularly the deeper and more restful levels of this, can have a ratcheting effect where desperation and dysfunctional choices increase.   

There is an old adage about the enormous value of taking the time to “really get in touch” with the natural environment through outdoor activities.  There may be as much value in really getting in touch with our own bodies and the physical, emotional, and mental evidence of our current being.  Some may scoff at “biofeedback” or carefully monitoring the results of our dietary and activity choices.  Some may also see little value in yoga or other forms of regular stretching and exercise.  Many of us don’t appear to have the time, patience or self-discipline to invest in even a few practical ways that have been scientifically-proven to lead to a higher quality of experienced life.  We might be working in companies that seem committed to or obsessed with “total quality management” for their products and services.  Yet how many people do you know that through their basic lifestyle choices and habits seem committed to anything like “total quality management” of their own physical, mental, and emotional fitness?   

It might be nearly impossible for many Americans to break free of the troubling, everyday stressors in their lives.   Some people do try to reduce these tensions somewhat through weekend or vacation activities outdoors.  Others are able to make major life changes, such as choosing very different occupations or jobs or taking early retirement, as they recognize the ”wear and tear” on their aging bodies and minds.  The pressure or stress that they once handled well or endured at an earlier life stage seems an increasingly heavy burden to bear.   Perhaps the greatest benefit for many of those able to retire in decent health and some financial security is a sense of freedom to set their own agenda and decide upon an appropriate balance of chosen work and leisure activities.  Unfortunately, fewer middle-aged and elderly American seem to have this opportunity in their “golden years.”  Some of those who are fortunate to have opportunity, though, can take many months or years to overcome negative habits and recognize this huge potential for personal renewal.   

I’ll offer just a few simple stress-reduction tactics that might be more easily arranged for those with busy schedules.  The key to these tips is locating a local or state park or an outdoor setting that is less than a 20-minute drive from your location.  This might not be a location offering the best walking trails or variety of attractive vistas, but its convenience for visits twice or so a week is important.  First, explore the setting and find one or two spots that offer better views of available water sources, open meadows, and/or forests.  Often a bench or chair is nearby.  Use this as a base for your outings there.  Possibly bring along a paperback book or novel that you find interesting or just your cell phone offering desired musical and reading choices.  Reading or music listening is a merely an option.  Escapist reading choices and soothing music of your personal preference might enhance or distract from the value of these visits.  The same might be said about bringing your faithful dog or a friend as a walking companion.

I’d recommend, upon arrival, a simple walk around this chosen area.  Depending upon your personal fitness for walking, this could be a short or longer walk that takes you back to this bench or chair.  Next sit and read pages from your book or listen to a few musical selections.   On the bench and next, possibly do a few push-ups, leg lifts and/or tricep dips.  Pick the amount of time that feels best for you of walking, reading/listening, exercising, or simply observing the sights and sounds of nature all around you.  Experiment over several visits with these options to determine which ones and how much of each seem to be the more relaxing or stress reducing. 

The recommendations above are just a simple type of “biofeedback” or getting in touch with your own personal mind-body-nature connections.   Once you start making these very basic reconnections or opening yourself up for increased personal feedback and learning, you might well discover other and different approaches for stress reduction and greater contentment and health.