Healing in nature can be one of the most powerful things you can do as you overcome trauma and addiction. As the weather begins to change this fall, you’ll find a perfect backdrop for exploring healing in the fresh air.
The Benefits of Healing in Nature
The great outdoors has some of the most powerful benefits you can find for healing. This setting can help you take a break from daily struggles, which allows you to feel more calm and peaceful. If you’re in recovery, healing in nature can also help you create a deeper connection with yourself and the world around you.
The link between healing and nature has a long history in the United States. From landscape architecture to mindfulness and nature-based medicines, much research has shown nature’s healing benefits.
For instance, according to the Sonoma County Government Parks Department in California, being active in nature “can help fight chronic diseases, relieve stress and depression, promote faster healing, stronger immune systems, and more.” New research has even shown that being in nature can positively impact our physical and mental health, all the way down to our cells.
Outdoor Healing and Recovery
An article published in 2020 in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health discussed the positive link between spending time in nature and the reduction of problematic drinking. The article pointed to bodies of research that found that “greater access to yards and residential views of nature” was associated with “reduced craving for different substances.”
Being outdoors is beneficial to recovery for many different reasons. For one, being outdoors can promote healthy social activity. This activity can not only turn someone away from substances but also alleviate feelings of stress and anxiety, which can arise from both addiction and past traumas.
Nature-based activities also promote physical well-being. A sense of physical well-being can, in turn, boost your mood and energy levels. It can even make you feel more confident about yourself. The reasons nature is so healing are vast. The bottom line is that being outdoors can be one of your most powerful tools in recovery.
Healing Activities in Nature
If you’ve experienced trauma or substance use disorder (SUD), you may have lost sight of the natural world around you. In the past, your daily routine may have revolved around substances. You may have even been plagued with co-occurring issues like depression or anxiety. These issues may have made it more difficult to enjoy the outdoors.
The good news is that you can begin healing in nature at any time. Nature is always right outside your door. Focusing on outdoor therapies can have a huge impact on your healing journey.
Outdoor Therapies: Physical Wellness
When most people think of healing outdoors, physical activities often come to mind. This is because nature lends the perfect backdrop to help you take care of your body and get into shape.
Outdoor therapies like hiking, walking, and jogging all provide well-documented benefits for recovery. In fact, many recovery programs will suggest that you begin some kind of exercise routine in the beginning. That is because this routine helps you create a healthy habit while simultaneously boosting your overall wellness.
Outdoor Therapies: Mental and Spiritual Wellness
Another excellent way to soak up nature’s healing benefits is to partake in activities that support your mental and spiritual wellness. Right now, therapies like outdoor meditation and yoga seem more popular than ever. When taking part in these therapies outdoors, you can stay more focused in the present moment instead of letting intrusive thoughts and fears run the show.
What’s more, the sounds of nature serve as a great meditative tool on their own. If you sit outdoors and simply concentrate on sounds, like birds chirping or the wind blowing, this can help you feel more grounded and in control.
Other Outdoor Therapies
Many recovery programs have been adding dynamic outdoor therapies to their lineup in recent years. Adventure therapy is one such modality that usually takes place entirely outside. This modality includes a variety of nature-based practices that help you build life skills and have fun.
The adventure therapy program at The Guest House, for example, helps you build bonds with peers as you join in on activities like hiking, camp-building, and more. Our program gives you the tools you need to build your confidence in an exciting and innovative way.
Equine therapy is another powerful modality offered at The Guest House. Through equine therapy, you learn how to rebuild relationships and confidence in yourself using majestic horses as your guide.
Healing in Nature at The Guest House
If you’re ready to take your recovery journey to a deeper and more impactful level, look no further than The Guest House. Our beautiful 52-acre estate is the perfect backdrop to reap the many healing benefits of nature.
At The Guest House, we offer a wide variety of activities to heal your mind, body, and soul. Many of our therapies are also done outdoors in the sunny Florida weather. You may even want to take some time to yourself to sit, paint, or journal outside and rediscover the simple pleasures of being present in your life.
Our trauma-specific program has everything you need to heal in nature and find the therapies that work best for you.
If you have experienced trauma or substance use disorder (SUD), some of the most powerful healing you can do will be in nature. At The Guest House, we offer the perfect backdrop to reap the many benefits of the great outdoors as you journey through recovery. Our trauma-specific program is specially designed to help you get to the root of your struggles while discovering the therapies and modalities that work best for you. We offer a cutting-edge blend of traditional and holistic therapies, many of which can be enjoyed outside on our beautiful 52-acre estate. Here you can rediscover life’s simple joys while creating long-term recovery success. Call us at (855) 483-7800.