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What 20 Minutes Outdoors Can Really Do For Your Nervous System
The lure of technology and instant screen-based information can truly be overpowering, just like the lure of the donuts sitting in the break room.
You go to check an email, and the next thing you know, you’re endlessly scrolling, checking notifications, and perusing the information highway, causing you and your nervous system to be more stressed. What if, instead, you were exercising, having meaningful social interaction, sleeping, or getting outdoors?
The good news is that even though technology is close to impossible to avoid, there is an ancient antidote to modern stress that can bring calm to your nervous system, and it takes less than 20 minutes to activate.
Why your brain craves nature (&why screens can't satisfy it)
Your brain is wired to seek information, and each new piece of data triggers reward circuits that release feel-good chemicals like dopamine. This explains why checking your phone feels so addictive, and according to new research is addictive—you're literally getting a hit of dopamine with every notification. It is sort of like junk food. You have one bite and you can’t help going back for more.
This artificial stimulation hijacks the same neural pathways that nature has been activating for millennia. But unlike the endless scroll of social media, nature provides a form of stimulation that is restorative and healing, offering sensory input that actually calms rather than agitates your nervous system, acting like a perfectly balanced meal that is also delicious.
The science behind nature's nervous system reset
Connecting to nature can promote profound physiological changes, and the research is quite compelling. For instance, studies on Japanese "forest bathing" (shinrin-yoku) show that just 20 minutes in nature:
- Reduces stress hormone levels
- Lowers blood pressure and heart rate
- Boosts immune function by increasing natural killer cells
- Decreases anxiety and improves mood
Interestingly, there are invisible elements in nature that help you heal, like phytoncides1 from trees, which are natural chemicals emitted by plants to protect themselves from bacteria and fungi. When you breathe these in (simply by being present in nature), they literally communicate with your immune system, switching it from stress mode to repair mode.
The mindful nature practice that changes everything
Your nervous system responds to nature the way an orchestra responds to the conductor: The rhythms, sounds, and patterns of nature help bring your body's innate healing mechanisms into synchrony.
The key isn't just being in nature—it's being present in nature. This is where mindfulness meets biology in the most powerful way.
My 20-minute Nervous System Reset Protocol
Minutes 1-5: Arrival & transition
- Find a natural space (park, garden, even a tree-lined street).
- Take three deep breaths and consciously "arrive."
- Put your mobile phone away and take off your data trackers or smartwatch. You are going off the grid!
- Set an intention to disconnect from the digital world and your thoughts, and instead you intend to connect with your senses.
- Now, you may choose to continue walking, sit in a comfortable place and position, or lie down.
Minutes 6-10: Sensory immersion
Engage each sense deliberately:
- Sight: Notice colors, patterns, movement (clouds, leaves, birds)
- Sound: Tune into nature's soundtrack (wind, rustling, birdsong)
- Smell: Breathe in the scents (earth, flowers, fresh air)
- Touch: Feel textures (bark, grass, breeze on skin)
- Taste: Notice the taste of fresh air
- If thoughts, judgments, or annoyances arise, allow yourself to notice that you are having these thoughts, say to yourself “thinking, thinking, thinking” and gently bring your focus back to your senses.
Minutes 11-15: Mindful observation
- Choose one element to focus on (a tree, flowing water, clouds) for the entire time.
- Practice using a soft gaze—gently gazing on the focus, eyes relaxed without strain.
- Let go of thoughts as they arise, avoiding any judgment or analysis.
- When thoughts arise, gently return attention to your chosen focus, as before.
Minutes 16-20: Integration & gratitude
- Place your hand on your heart and notice any shifts in your body.
- Take three deep breaths, appreciating the experience. Allow yourself to experience awe.
- Set an intention to carry this calm energy and awe with you.
Consistency is key
One session provides immediate relief, but regular practice creates lasting changes. The more you practice, the more your stress resilience will improve, helping you stay calm under pressure, get sick less often (if at all), recover more quickly from illness or stress, sleep better, think more clearly, and feel happier.
Just as you wouldn't expect one workout to make you physically fit, one nature session won't transform your nervous system. But 20 minutes daily—or even three times per week—can create profound shifts. And know that if you can’t go to nature, you can also bring nature to you.
No Forest, no time? No problem
Can't get to a forest? No problem. Research shows benefits from:
- Urban parks and tree-lined streets
- Indoor plants (especially larger ones)
- Nature sounds and imagery (though less effective than the real thing)
- Even a single tree you can sit near
- Sit by your window and observe nature, like gazing at the raindrops as they hit the window pane, watching the water patterns, or smelling how the air changes.
Pressed for time? Try "micro-doses":
- 5-minute morning walks before checking your phone
- Eating lunch outside
- Walking meetings in parks when possible
- Evening wind-down time in your garden or on a balcony
- For every hour of focused screen time, invest a few minutes in nature connection.
Think of nature as a superfood
If screen time is digital junk food, then nature time is a superfood for your nervous system. And I’m not telling you to cut out junk food. That would be like telling you to live off the grid or abandon technology.
Rather, I’m encouraging you to create more balance and resilience in your life by using nature as a powerful tool to regulate your nervous system.
Your nervous system will thank you.