10 Practical Ways to Connect with Nature in Winter for Stress Relief and Well-Being
We recently had a practical question in our Community of Alignment asking for advice on how to connect with nature in winter when it’s cold and dark out and all you want to do is hunker down inside to keep warm.
I have been thinking about this a lot since we transitioned from our nature paradise of a tiny home in the Bitterroot mountains of Idaho to the polluted concrete jungle of Baltimore City for the winter.
In Idaho, it was impossible not to connect with nature each day. We call our tiny home a “Glass Cocoon” because we are literally surrounded by nature in our meadow.
My “alarm clock” is when the sun hits me with its gentle warmth when it just starts to peak over the mountain. Screentime is watching the sunset through the clouds as the colors dance through the sky. Neighbors are chipmunks, rabbits, ground squirrels, deer, antelope, and elk, to name a few. And my nightlight is the moonlight as it shines so bright and seems so close, as if we were in outer space.
As someone with the core value of Unity with Nature, our glass cocoon is my happy place that makes my mind, body, and spirit feel free.
So, as you can imagine, coming back to the city has been a little shocking to our systems. From the noises, lights, pollution and people, it has been a lot.
For example, the week before we left the mountains, we got woken up in the middle of the night by wolves howling and thought, “This is so cool!” The first night back in the city, we got awakened by a motorcycle roaring by, and both started screaming.
That is why we have been exploring ways to connect more with nature; we know how important it is to our health and well-being.
Studies have shown that investing time in nature can boost your immune system, lower blood pressure and heart rate, reduce stress and anxiety, improve your mood and enhance creativity and focus.
Yeah, nature can do a lot for you.
We have been back in Baltimore for almost two weeks now, and while we have gone to our city park (which is nice), we haven’t really been “out” in nature—the type of nature where you are entirely surrounded by nature and not around other people.
This past week, MaryBeth and I were going through some old trauma. The type of trauma that you think you have healed only for it to come back again and grab you to say, “I am still here!”. It’s the type of trauma that makes you feel crazy and want to explode.
So, we decided to make the journey to fill our drinking water from a fresh spring in our local state park. After filling up, we saw a trail and decided to go on a short walk to discuss everything.
That walk in nature changed everything.
We went from feeling like we would explode to a place of calm, cool presence. It was as if nature lifted the cold, wet blanket of anxiety that was wrapped around us and replaced it with a feeling of lightness and freedom. And the next day, when I woke up, I felt amazing and completely renewed.
It reminded me how connecting with nature can shift your entire well-being, especially when you aren’t feeling good.
Nature is the antidote to your stress and anxiety.
So, here are my 10 favorite ways to on how to connect with nature in winter.
1. 🔥 Sit around and tend to a fire.
2. 🧊 Do a cold plunge.
3. 🐈 Invest time with animals.
4. ⭐ Sit by the window and watch the birds, animals, trees, and stars.
5. 🐠 Visit a greenhouse, botanical garden, aquarium, salt caves, caverns, etc.
6. ☀️ Get as much sun on your skin as you can.
7. 🌲 Ground yourself with the earth by putting your hand on a tree or bare feet in a sunny grassy spot.
8. 💧 Find a local spring to get your drinking water or a hot spring to soak in.
9. 🥶 Embrace the cold! Get outside as much as possible. Wear a natural fiber like wool as a base layer to keep warm and wear layers to protect from the elements.
10. 🪴 Grow and tend to an indoor garden.
Whether inside or outside, there are many ways to connect with nature, even in the winter months. Find out what works best for you and choose to tap into its healing power, especially when you need a state change or when you are feeling down. The more you do, the better you will feel.
P.S.
🤍 This holiday season, give yourself the gift of alignment and renewal. Our White Light Special is here to help you step into 2025, aligned with your values and ready to create the life you deserve. For just $24, you’ll receive:
💖 Knowing and Living Your Values Course: A 10-day journey to uncover your authentic self and align your daily choices with what matters most.
❄️ Holiday Boundaries BootCamp: A 5-day experience to help you confidently protect your values and say “yes” to what lights you up.
📙 Permission to Be Human (Audio & e-book): A step-by-step guide to living your values and fostering authentic connections at work and in life.
This special offer ends tomorrow—don’t wait to step into the new year with clarity, purpose, and peace.
