The Nature Cure For Mental Health
The hike that reset my brain and how you can get started
Just days after the world was almost brought to a standstill because of a single technology glitch, I had the opportunity to head into the Sequoia National Park to drop off my son and three buddies who were embarking on an eight-day backpacking trip called the High Sierras Trail (HST). This trek runs 70 miles across the entire park and culminates at Mt. Whitney, the highest mountain in the contiguous United States at more than 14,000 feet.
It’s a six-hour drive from our house to get to Crescent Meadow, the start of the trail already deep in the park. So I was to hike in with them a few miles, camp the first night, and then hike out in the morning while they continued on. I had been looking forward to the trip as a welcome break from my work pressures the previous few weeks and months.
But taking two days off work in the middle of the week had its own pressures and my mental health had been deteriorating with regular working weekends and no formal summer break. I would put myself in the category of overwhelmed given several competing avenues of my self-employed work life leaving little room for balance.
The Power of Nature
It’s well-known that your mental health has a huge impact on your physical health and sure enough, the day before the trip, I woke up with a sore throat and the weary exhaustion you feel when a cold virus is trying to take you down.
I didn’t want to derail my son’s plans, so after a couple of unavoidable meetings, I turned off my computer and spent the afternoon on the couch. A lot of vitamins C and D, zinc, quercetin, and chicken broth. I had already pulled out the backpacking gear, so I had everything ready by the front door that night heading to bed early.
The day started at 4:45 a.m. The three buddies showed up at our house, and we were pulling away shortly after 5 a.m. I was in a bit of a daze, to be honest, but focused solely on driving while my son navigated and the other boys napped. After picking up our permit at Lodgepole Campground, we did a bit of the touristy walks around the giant sequoias and then headed to the HST trailhead.
I can’t say I was full of energy but being out in nature is like a complete blood transfusion to me. Just 15 minutes into the HST and the scenery is breathtaking. You realize how small and insignificant we humans are compared to all that nature provides and sustains.
From the diversity of the forest floor to the rocks, trees, and mountains beyond I was instantly transported to a time before technology—when life was simpler, slower, and we implicitly understood our place in this universe. Man does not control this world. Our reliance on technology has gotten seriously out of hand. Our pace of life is not what God intended.
While I often write or teach about how human beings need other humans in real life (i.e., not on a screen), in this case, I have to emphasize the power of getting away from other humans to exist in nature. Nature therapy, also known as Shinrin-yoku or forest bathing, has been shown scientifically to improve mental health. However, my discussion here is not so much the science but to pose a few suggestions that anyone can easily try to see how they work for them.
An Unexpected Surprise
My hike on this particular day was quite tough, as we started out from home at sea level, drove to 6,000 feet, and then hiked to about 8,000 feet with a 20-pound pack on my back (light compared to the boys’ 50 pounds to sustain them eight days). There was a lot of huffing and puffing, and I had to just focus on putting one foot in front of the other, which meant my thoughts couldn’t wander to what I was not getting done at my desk.
Our destination for the night was called Buck Creek and had amazing views of the Sierra Nevada mountains and a large amount of running water, manzanitas, and wildflowers of all different shapes, sizes, and colors. We ate backpacking food in the open air, had a small campfire in a little pit provided by the rangers, and were tucked up in our tents before it even got dark.
The next morning, we watched the sun rise over the mountains as we ate breakfast, packed up, and refilled our water bottles. I said goodbye to my son as we went our separate ways, and he and his buddies continued on their trek. I watched them hiking off into the distance before turning around and heading back down to the trailhead.
That five miles of solo hiking in some of the most beautiful scenery on earth did more for my mental health than any number of therapy sessions. But God had more in store for me. . .
As I rounded a corner of the very narrow trail cut into the mountain, I saw a mama bear and her bear cub ambling along toward me. I darted back a few feet and scrambled up the mountainside a little to get off the trail. I held my breath trying to remember any advice the rangers had given us.
As she came around the corner, she looked directly at me, then down the hillside, and then at her cub. She was clearly as unsettled by my appearance as I was of her. But she didn’t get aggressive—perhaps recognizing me as another mama who had left her own bear cub two miles back.
The little cub scrambled up a tree on the down-slope in front of me and hung out at least 20 feet in the air complaining to his mom. She eventually just continued on her journey. It wasn’t until I started out on my journey again, going a little bit further along the trail, that the cub came down from his tree and stood there and watched me for a while. It was quite magical. I had to turn to leave before he went off to follow his mom.
My heart was pounding somewhat, but I felt God was just showing me what was important in life, and more than a day later as I write this, the sensation hasn’t left me. My to-do list hasn’t got any shorter, but I feel more at peace than I have in a long time. And that cold virus that was trying to take me down? Completely evaporated. Even with all the physical exertion of those two days, the fresh air and natural beauty healed me.
I realize not everyone has the opportunity or physical capability to backpack in a national park, but getting out in nature is an innate need of the human body and brain. People such as Richard Louv, author of “Last Child in the Woods,” believe our reduced exposure to nature in recent years is driving much of the reduction in our health, particularly of our children.
My Suggestions
Here are a few ideas to improve your mental health with the “nature cure”:
It’s never too late to start: Hiking is not just a young person’s activity. We met 80-year-old Mark at our campsite, who does a multiday solo trip every year.
Do your research: Use resources such as the app All Trails to find hikes close to your home or in a particular location. Read the reviews, the recent conditions, and the difficulty level to make sure you are up to it.
Start small: A walk in a local park can gradually build to a two-mile hike in a wilderness area then a half-day trek, up to a full-day excursion needing multiple meals along the way.
Equipment: The only equipment you need to start with is a sturdy pair of walking shoes. You can pick up a second-hand pair quite cheaply to see if you enjoy the activity. A water bottle of some kind is also a must.
Dirt and bugs are part of the experience: If this puts you off, I would suggest a desensitization cure—just go out and do it! I promise the memories and the mental health boost will far exceed any temporary discomfort.
Check the weather and dress accordingly: As the British often say—there is no bad weather, only bad clothing!
Look into accessible options for those who cannot walk or need assistance. Many national and local parks have gone to great lengths to make nature and amazing views accessible to all.
This article first appeared in The Epoch Times but is now public on Substack so feel free to share it.
About the author: Emma Tekstra is a Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries, an independent health researcher, and author of “How to Be a Healthy Human; What Your Doctor Doesn’t Know About Health and Longevity.” With a 30-year background in employee benefits and corporate health and wellbeing, she consults with employers looking for real solutions to runaway health care costs, and to startup companies bringing health solutions to market. Read more at About page.
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The Great Escape! There's nothing better. But a mama bear with cub at close range is a very scary and dangerous encounter. Glad it turned out alright. Great photo. And experiences like that are vivid memories that last a lifetime. I wonder how the boys' trip went?