In tough times, ‘nature therapy’ can help us. Especially in beautiful Kentucky

In these times of increasing anxiety and stress, we need to pay more than usual attention to taking care of ourselves physically, emotionally and mentally. Sunlight and fresh air are valuable aids to mood maintenance, and immersing yourself in nature can help you maintain a larger, calmer perspective.

Indeed, over the past several decades various sorts of “nature therapy” have been developed based on an increasingly compelling body of scientific research. These range from working with animals, to helping with conservation projects, to simply walking or hiking in a park, around the neighborhood, or in the woods. These days, there are professional “nature therapists,” but there all sorts of ways you can help sustain and renew yourself out doors — particularly living in the Bluegrass or most other parts of Kentucky.

There are several things involved here. One is the value of physical activity and another is the value of being out among the shapes, colors, vistas, and “feel” of natural landscapes. In England, many of the Victorians were great hiking enthusiasts: novelists like Dickens, historians like Gladstone, thinkers like Darwin. According to Trevelyan, “After a day’s walk, everything had twice its usual value.” Or again, “I have two doctors, my left leg and my right.”

Of course, some of us can no longer walk the way we would want. But most of us have ways of getting outdoors. Sitting in the backyard or on the porch and taking it all in can be an intense experience. But deriving the most nourishment, and greatest solace possible from such a scene requires some practice and the development of several skills. Try making a point of slowing down the workings of your mind, of “letting go” of everything except the sensations in your body and what’s coming to you through your senses from the outside scene. Even the most impressive vista in the Red River Gorge or Black Mountain will become more intense and soothing if you if you combine a relaxed, open availability with an eye and mind to “really see” — that is, to see vividly and feel intently.

Black Mountain, a scene in the Gorge, or a sunset in the park may well be worth taking pictures of, but the picture should be an afterthought — not the reason for being there. The more meaning and pleasure we derive from such outdoor scenes and experiences, the more the more likely we are to really work to preserve them and our natural environment, both here in Kentucky, and around the world.

Moreover, the more we let our involvements with nature preserve, promote, or restore our peace of mind, clear-headedness and patience, the more we will be able to play useful rolls in helping others in our county, state, and country discuss the divisive issues and work our way through these troubled times in as sane and effective a manner as possible.

To sum up, now, more than ever, we need to cultivate inner peace as the basis of our actions and lives. And now, more than ever, we need to let the natural world around us help us anchor and sustain our bodies, hearts, and minds.

Rick Clewett is a Professor Emeritus at Eastern Kentucky University.

This story was originally published May 21, 2025 at 9:20 AM.