Into the Wild: How Nature Can Help us Heal from Grief and Loss
It’s late August. I love this time of year: the golden glow in the late afternoon reminding me to enjoy these fleeting last days of summer, and the cooler nights bringing relief and the promise of deeper and more peaceful sleep.
When I notice the leaves beginning to change colors, I feel the same excited sense of anticipation I felt as a child with the start of each new school year. Yet the turn towards fall also brings up memories of past losses, and even regrets for what I didn’t accomplish yet this year.
Times of transition, like the changing seasons, can be powerful opportunities for reflection. We can look back and take stock of the past, considering what we want to take with us and what we want to leave behind, as we make space and look forward to new experiences.
These transitional times can stir up difficult emotions, especially if we’ve recently experienced a loss like the death of a loved one, a change in an important relationship, or starting over in a new city. During these times of change and loss, nature can be a powerful ally for connection and healing.
In this blog post, we’ll explore how nature can help us heal from grief and loss.
1.Seeking solace in nature
Being in nature lowers our stress hormones and helps us relax. This creates a sense of safety that can allow us to feel vulnerable emotions like grief more fully. At the same time, being in nature and surrounded by peaceful sounds and images can bring comfort even in the midst of grief.
2. Grounding through the senses
When we spend time in nature, we reap the benefits of engaging all our senses. With the average American spending 11 hours per day on screens, many of us are sense-deprived. Engaging with nature can bring us back into our bodies and restore a sense of groundedness that can be especially helpful after a loss.
3. Healing through physical movement
Moving the body is a wonderful, free and natural way to reduce stress and promote healing. The bilateral movements of walking can help us process difficult emotions and trauma. And during times of upheaval and confusion, walking can give us a real-time experience of getting unstuck and moving forward.
4. A place to honor and remember
Most of us have strong memories associated with place that remind us of a specific person, relationship, or time in our lives. Being in nature can help us reconnect with these memories, allowing us to connect more deeply to our loved ones and the past. Nature can also inspire us to honor our grief through art-making or ritual, as humans have done since the beginning of time.
5. Symbols of change and renewal
Nature offers countless symbols and metaphors for change, birth, death, and renewal – whether it’s in the changing seasons, the flow of a river, a butterfly emerging from a chrysalis, or a snake shedding its skin. These symbols can inspire us to find beauty and meaning in the varied moments of our lives, all pieces of a natural cycle.
6. Building connections
Grief and loss can be isolating experiences. Some of us may feel that no one understands our pain, and indeed our culture is not good at acknowledging and honoring life’s losses. Spending time in nature can restore a sense of connection, as we strengthen our existing bonds to the environment, plants and animals, and even the fellow humans we pass on the trail. We are all living beings on a journey, and as an integral part of nature, we are never alone.
Reflection: Honoring Times of Transition
Regardless of what is happening in your life right now, take a break from your schedule (which, after all, is about to get busier) to connect with nature. You might do this in your backyard, in your local pocket park, or on a nearby hiking trail. One hour or more is ideal, but just 20 minutes is great, too. If you like, you can bring a journal or sketchbook to record your observations.
As you take in the sights and sounds of nature around you, reflect on all that’s changed in your life this year. Observe without judgment any emotions that arise. Can you allow yourself to experience more than one emotion at once (for example, sadness and gratitude)? Appreciate yourself for showing up and acknowledge how far you’ve come.
Now, set an intention for the coming season. Maybe your intention is to be kinder to yourself, or maybe it’s going hiking once a week. Remember that nature is a wise and reliable companion, always here and ready to support you on your path.
Stepping into Autumn
If you’d like even more support on your healing journey, please reach out to see if Walk and Talk Therapy is a good fit for you. We can also incorporate nature elements into Virtual and In-Office therapy sessions.
I’m wishing you a gentle transition as the seasons change. Take care, and I look forward to connecting soon!