Nature for Mental and Physical Health

How is Nature and the outdoors improving your mental and/or physical health?

It's funny now I think about it. We've been out of the city for 5+ years now, and the longer we were out, the more of a burden it became to go back to get something, or to meet someone there. I now even loathe going to the small town about 45 minutes away from here. It's just all that concrete and the "busy" people and traffic that really puts me off now... The only thing I enjoy about making a trip to the civilized world is the ride itself. Beautiful landscapes here!

I take meds for mood swings and depression/anxiety, but nature is healing to me too.  I will say though that for some people, natural or home remedies don't cut it.  For some people, the option is to take psychiatric meds or suffer with their disorder.  Sometimes I think that if the world was different, certain mental health issues wouldn't be such a big deal.  Like bipolar- one week you'd be a superior Hunter/fighter, be fearless and build a bunch of stuff/be super productive.  The next week you'd rest.  Or maybe those with mental health issues only survive today because of meds- in other words, some wouldn't make it through natural selection because of their mental health issues.  Schizophrenia comes to mind.  
Btw I went on a big rant but to answer your question, I take a lot of nature bike rides and kinda hang out with plants.  It's really soothing and therapeutic

At times in my life, when I had a really hard decision to make, I went out "and pulled up a stump." That was my way of saying, I just go for a walk out in my woodlot, sit on a stump and mull things over.

My woodlot is my therapist.

My woodlot is my therapist

I'm a school teacher by day but I also have a side hustle as a Nature and Forest Therapy Guide. In our guide association we say that the forest is the therapist and the guide opens the door.

I love that so many people on this forum have ready access to the healing qualities of nature. As a guide, I'm working to help city dwellers remember and reconnect in reciprocal relationship with the forest. When people have been disconnected for so long, it sometimes doesn't take much to see powerful transformations. Ideally, this type of work wouldn't be necessary, but from what I've heard from participants, it really is.

Thanks for such a great topic!