The Impact of Nature Therapy on Addiction Recovery

There are many different approaches to addiction treatment and recovery, such as nature therapy. Nature therapy is a great way to get outdoors and feel connected to the earth and yourself. Through nature therapy, you can promote mindfulness and well-being. 

At West Coast Recovery Centers, we incorporate many different outdoor activities into our treatment programs. This can help those working on addiction recovery to feel more connected to their environment. This also provides a sense of peace when outdoors. The calming sounds of nature, fresh air, and sunny skies can help create a more positive response.

What Is Nature Therapy?

Nature therapy is an approach to treatment and recovery that emphasizes the importance of being exposed to nature and the outdoors. This type of therapy can take on many different forms and is not confined to one style of treatment. 

Examples of nature therapy can include:

• Animal therapy
• Nature meditation or yoga
• Adventure therapy
• Wilderness exploration

These types of therapy options all provide you with an outdoor experience where you can build up different types of skills and connect with the natural environment. The main goal of nature therapy is to get you outdoors and interact with your environment. Nature therapy can also be a great way to help with mindfulness, as it can be done in treatment and throughout recovery. You can take what you learn from treatment and apply it to your recovery and continue nature therapy when you return home.

How Being in Nature Can Promote Mindfulness and Well-Being

Learning to be mindful can be difficult when you are surrounded by busy cities, loud environments, or even in a stuffy room. Mindfulness is being able to pay full attention to what is going on around you and in you without judgment or distraction. Being outdoors can be a great change of pace. Not only does being outdoors give you a change of scenery, but it can promote walking and being active. 

When you are walking outdoors, you are providing your body with more oxygen and sending it to your brain. Increased oxygen to the brain can help to lower anxiety. Being able to relax outside and lower anxiety will help you feel less overwhelmed when addressing your feelings and thoughts.

In nature, you are surrounded by the calming sounds that it provides, which can be a great way to calm your mind and practice meditation. With no distractions, it can allow you to process your thoughts and emotions in a peaceful setting and help you concentrate.

The Benefits of Being Outdoors

Many other benefits come with being outdoors other than mindfulness. Some include the following:

Boosts Physical and Mental Wellness

Being outside can also bring benefits like vitamin D from the sun, increased oxygen levels, and increased physical wellness. This can also be a way to step away from the daily stress you may be experiencing. Taking a literal step away to clear your mind can be a great way to come back to something with fresh eyes and a clearer head. 

Helps Manage Triggers

In certain situations, it can be a great way to get out of uncomfortable situations as well. In recovery, there can be many different triggers that you may face when returning to your daily life. Walking away to go calm yourself outdoors can help you manage those triggers and calm them before they become too overwhelming. 

Minimizes Down Time

Another benefit of being outdoors is that it can fill in the free time that you may now have while in recovery. Working through recovery, you may notice that you have a lot more free time now that you are not using substances, and you may not be sure how to fill that time. Going outside and connecting with nature is a great activity that almost everyone can do. It can also help when you are working through the early stages of recovery and are feeling stressed about the free time you have and worried that you may fill that time with negative activities.

Benefits Your Recovery Plan

In the early stages of recovery, there can be a lot of different stressors that you may have to work through. Being outside and in nature can be a great benefit to your recovery plan. Having a recovery plan allows you to map out what you need to stay healthy and have a successful recovery. Involving nature therapy can be as easy as adding hiking to your weekly routine or even just walking outside a couple of days of the week. Adding small changes like this can have a huge impact on not only your mental health but your day-to-day living as well.

At West Coast Recovery Centers, we are here to help you through your recovery and build a recovery plan for you that promotes healthy living and mindfulness. We can give you the tools you need to experience the outdoors and connect with nature. We also offer many different options that incorporate the outdoors and nature therapy so that you can receive all the benefits that nature has to offer.

Being outdoors can boost addiction recovery. Through nature therapy, you can find ways to be outdoors and feel more connected to the wilderness. This can build an environment that helps promote mindfulness and well-being. With a deeper connection to nature, you can be mindful, which promotes things like self-confidence. At West Coast Recovery Centers, we offer many different holistic approaches to addiction treatment and recovery. These options incorporate many outdoor activities that you can explore. If you are seeking help for addiction, please reach out to us today at (760) 492-6509. We are here to help you explore the different options so you can live a healthier and happier life.