Laura Mallory Psychotherapy
25 Aug 2026
Hiking for Mental Health
The deer on the trail did not run. She stood there and looked at me. There were just the two of us, a wild free animal and a human being with all the cares of the world set aside for this special moment of connection.
When we walk in nature, our brain is receptive to new experience, new connections, new discoveries. What we see, hear and feel on a trail in the wopods actually changes our brain and can greatly improve our mental health. Anxiety diminishes and mood improves. Our attention span is greater, we can focus better and we have fewer upsetting thoughts.
Eyesight is improved, and scientists are only just beginning to discover the physical benefits of breathing forest air and exposure to microorganisms in the soil. Is this why gardening is good for people? Do children instinctively know that mud is good for them? A study by Marc G Berman (2012) showed that "participants exhibited significant increases in memory span and improvement in mood after the nature walk relative to the urban walk".1 Another study by Marc G Berman et. al (2008) showed that a 50 minute walk resulted in a 20% improvement in the ability to direct attention.2
The cities we live in overpower us with noises we don't want to hear and sights we don't want to see; our defense is to shut down our awareness. But when we expose ourselves to the natural world, we can let in the sounds and react with aw and wonder to what we see and feel and hear.
Often, we discover aspects of nature that are new to us. Seeing a bird that we have never seen before and looking it up in a bird book or identifying it on an app can be satisfying and fun. The flowers that bloom in spring delight with their shapes and colours: the butterflies that land on them add another dimension of joy. If we stop and listen to the sounds in the forest, we register bird calls, wind in the trees, a branch creaking against another limb. If we look carefully at the trees, we may be able to identify them. If we sit on a bench or a stump and wait, a small animal may run over our feet, a bird may sit on a branch nearby, and our mind will feel the presence of creatures nearby and hear subtle sounds available in the stillness.
Doctors are now writing prescriptions for daily walks in nature to heal physically and emotionally. The way you feel after a 50 minute walk is the best measure of how nature works to heal and strengthen. The new awareness and wonder are a gift given freely by the natural world, and little by little, can change the way you experience your life.
References
1) Berman, Marc G et al., Psychological Science. 2008 Dec. The cognitive benefits of interacting with naure.
2) Berman, Marc G et al., Journal of Affective Disorders. Volume 140, Issue 3, November 2012. Interacting with nature improves cognition and affect for individuals with depression.