Stress can show up in many ways: buzzing thoughts when you’re trying to fall asleep, tight shoulders after a long commute, a to-do list replaying in your head — even during downtime. A little stress is healthy: It can help you respond to life’s demands. But when it sticks around too long, it can affect your mood, sleep and heart and brain health.
Growing research reflects what Indigenous cultures have long understood: Getting outdoors can ground us and support our health.
“Central to my well-being is a connection to a greater purpose,” says Margaret Hart, an Indigenous Scholar and Instructor in Occupational Therapy at the University of Manitoba, who enjoys walking in the forest, listening to the birds sing and being near water to help tap into that connection and feel calmer.
Even urban parks, public gardens, and water features can offer moments to relax and restore balance. Here are seven simple ways to bring nature into your daily life and reduce stress:
Walking, sitting or running in green spaces
- Heart and brain health benefits: Helps improve your mood, lower feelings of stress and support your mental well-being by offering a calming environment. If walking or running are exercise options for you, getting your steps in outdoors can also get your heart pumping.
- Tip: Build time for movement or relaxation in green spaces into your daily routine — like a 15-minute walk at lunchtime or sitting on a park bench after dinner to enjoy the breeze on your skin or the sound of rustling leaves. Got more time? Head for a trail near you.
Gardening or tending to plants
- Heart and brain health benefits: Provides light-to-moderate physical activity through movements like digging, lifting and squatting. Even simple plant care — such as tending to houseplants or a herb planter box — can support your mental well-being by helping you disconnect from daily demands and stay present.
- Tip: Start small. Caring for a few plants regularly can create a calming routine and lift your mood, as you notice new leaves, fragrant aromas, growth or blooms over time. If you don’t have a private outdoor space, explore community gardens, garden-share programs or neighbourhood fruit-picking groups — social connection supports heart and brain health too.
Spending time in or near water
- Heart and brain health benefits: Calms the mind by shifting attention to soothing sights and sounds, such as waves and flowing water. Researchers sometimes use the term “blue mind” to describe this relaxed mental state, reflecting how the sights and sounds of water can engage our attention, boost our mood and quiet our thoughts. Blue spaces, such as lakes, rivers and the ocean, can also encourage movement and social connection, if you’re meeting with others, say to walk on the beach, swim or kayak.
- Tip: Spend 10-20 minutes near water and let your attention rest on it — watching the movement, listening to the sounds and relaxing your breathing. Research shows even looking at images or listening to recordings of moving water — at home or in your workspace — has a calming effect.
Birdwatching
- Heart and brain health benefits: Pulls your attention into the present, especially through listening to birdsong, which may help relax your body and mind. This gentle shift in attention may lower stress and improve mood.
- Tip: Pause and pay attention. Listen for different sounds and movements or look for different species or colours of birds. Find a free app, such as Merlin Bird ID or Audubon Bird Guide to help you identify birds by their songs or appearance.
Stargazing and night-sky observation
- Heart and brain health benefits: Emerging research suggests ‘awe-inspiring experiences’, such as stargazing and watching the aurora borealis, may help promote feelings of calm and put everyday stressors into perspective. Exposure to natural darkness — and less artificial light — may also support your body’s internal clock and help you unwind before bed and sleep better.
- Tip: Find a safe, dark place away from streetlights and turn off screens. Don’t worry if you don’t have a telescope — many stars and constellations are visible without equipment. Try a free app to learn about celestial events near you and identify stars and planets.
Having a picnic outdoors
- Heart and brain health benefits: Offers fresh air, natural light and time in nature, and can also support healthy eating choices, if you pack home-prepared balanced meals and skip ultra-processed foods. Enjoying a picnic with others strengthens social connections and makes for a more relaxed and mindful eating experience.
- Tip: Add light movement, like a short walk or stretches before or after eating, to boost the benefits of getting outside.
Nature photography
- Heart and brain health benefits: Promotes mindful engagement with your surroundings, helping you slow down, be present and notice nature’s patterns, shapes and colours. Spending time outdoors to take photos can also motivate you to move more.
- Tip: Keep it simple. Even capturing a few cellphone photos on a walk can help you slow down and feel more grounded. Later, printing your favourite photo or scrolling through a small album of nature photos can bring that calm feeling back when you’re indoors.
Before you head outdoors
Remember that just as nature supports our health, we can give back by leaving no trace and showing respect for wild plants, trees, the land and waterways.
There is an Ininiw concept called “Kitaskinow,” which means “our world, our mother,” Hart says. “It reminds us to be humble and to share responsibility for caring for the earth. Living this way supports both mental and physical well-being.”
