Why Walking in Nature Can Be a Game Changer - No Matter How Your Brain is Wired
ADHD, women’s health, and mental health insights and resources from Lightfooted Pathways
If you’ve ever sat all afternoon at your computer and felt your brain go fuzzy, your thoughts tangled, or your body itching to move, you’re not alone. Many of my clients tell me they think more clearly, and open up more easily, when they’re walking. Something about being out in nature calms the body, opens our minds, and helps to focus on the thoughts and feelings that can get lost in the noise day-to-day life.
That’s a big part of why I offer walk and talk nature therapy hikes.
What the research suggests
Research on time in nature and the benefits for everyone is encouraging and studies have shown that it can be an effective part of a holistic treatment strategy to improve mental health and help manage ADHD, postpartum, and perimenopause. So why is walking in nature a game changer?
Nature can give a tired brain a break. Attention Restoration Theory suggests that natural settings engage our attention gently, giving the parts of the brain that handle focus and effort a chance to rest. For anyone who spends the day working hard to concentrate, that matters.
Movement supports mood and focus. Physical activity is consistently linked with better mood, lower stress, and improved focus and executive function. This is especially relevant for those with ADHD and for hormonal transitions like postpartum and perimenopause.
Walking can ease overthinking. Studies have linked time in nature with reduced rumination, the looping, stuck thoughts that often come with anxiety.
In my time in Japan, I was introduced to “forest bathing” and studies have found that just a 15 minute walk in nature can lower pulse and blood pressure (nerd out on the study here) and there’s a great summary of the psycological benefits of nature exposure from the Canadian Psychology assoation if you want to dig deep read more here.
My Footnote
Doing therapy outdoors creates a natural physical metaphor for life providing various paths and challenges. It calms the mind and opens a world of possibilities. Problems seem smaller, barriers a bit smaller, and opportunities bigger. It doesn’t take much!
Take a 10-15 minute phone-free walk break this week and take note of how you feel before and after. Whether it’s a walk around the block or a trail through the trees, you don’t need to be good at it. You just need to take the next light step.
Ready to give it a try?
If walking and talking sounds like a fit for you, I’d love to hear from you. Book a free 15-minute session. We can talk about what you’re looking for and whether a nature therapy hike might suit you.
This post is for information and reflection and isn’t medical advice or a substitute for individual care. Nature therapy hikes may not be suitable for everyone, and we’ll talk through accessibility and safety before we begin.
