I have had outdoor moments I will never forget: the glassy stillness of Jordan Pond in Acadia, a garden full of oversized hydrangeas in Bar Harbor, and the quiet majesty of glaciers in Alaska. Each one stopped me differently. Not because I was trying to “work on my wellness” in those moments, but because nature has a way of doing what we often cannot do for ourselves when life gets loud: it slows us down, steadies our breathing, and brings us back to the present.

I have written before about nature as a doorway to appreciation. But there is another kind of magic in getting outside, one that is deeply relevant to health and wellness coaching. Nature can be a reset button for the mind, body, and mood. And here is the best part: that reset does not require a national park, a bucket-list trip, or a breathtaking view. Sometimes, it is right outside the front door – or even the back door.

Some of my most peaceful outdoor moments happen on familiar walks around my own neighborhood. I have my usual routes, the ones where I know which homes will catch my eye and which yards will make me smile. There is a Scottish terrier in one yard who always seems to be waiting to say “hello” as I walk by. There are beautiful homes with quiet lakes resting peacefully behind them, little glimpses of calm tucked into an ordinary day. These are not dramatic moments. They are simple ones, but they create a shift within.

And then there is my own little oasis out back: my patio. Sometimes wellness looks like walking. Sometimes it looks like sitting. Just sitting. I have spent many evenings out there letting the day settle around me. Other times, I bring a little comfort with me, like a favorite chick flick, a Golden Girls marathon, a British mystery show, or whatever my “series of the moment” happens to be. Sometimes an evening movie – like “Grease” one of my favorites – is the perfect way to unwind and reset at the end of a long day. It may not sound like a traditional wellness practice, but laughter, fresh air, and a place to unwind can be deeply restorative.

That is part of the life-changing magic of getting outside. It meets us where we are. It can be grand and awe-inspiring, like mountains and glaciers. It can be quiet and familiar, like a neighborhood walk. It can be playful and comforting, like laughing on the patio after a long day. The magic is not only in the scenery. It is in the way our bodies soften, our minds settle, and our mood begins to shift.

Getting outside also touches several dimensions of wellness. It supports environmental wellness by reconnecting us with the spaces, seasons, and natural beauty around us. It supports movement, exercise, and play by encouraging us to walk, stretch, garden, explore, or simply move in ways that feel enjoyable rather than forced. And it supports the mind-body connection, which may be one of its most powerful benefits. This is where getting outside becomes a nervous system reset.

Many of us move through our days in a state of constant stimulation. We wake up and reach for our phones. We respond to messages, solve problems, care for others, manage work, track appointments, absorb news, and push through fatigue. Over time, our bodies can begin to treat ordinary life like one long emergency.

We may feel wired but tired. Irritable. Foggy. Restless. Disconnected. We may crave a break but not know how to take one. We may sit down to rest and still feel like our minds are running laps. Stepping outdoors gives the body different input: natural light, fresh air, open space, birdsong, wind, trees, the rhythm of walking, or the comfort of a familiar patio chair. These cues can gently remind the body that it is safe to soften.

You do not have to force calm. You can create conditions that invite it.

Science is beginning to explain what many of us feel intuitively when we step outside. In a 2019 study published in Frontiers in Psychology, researchers found that spending 20 to 30 minutes sitting or walking in a place that helped participants feel connected with nature was associated with a meaningful drop in cortisol, one of the body’s primary stress hormones. The researchers described this kind of intentional outdoor time written as a “prescription” by a healthcare provider as a “nature pill.”

That is encouraging because it means the reset does not have to take all afternoon. It does not have to be complicated. It does not require special equipment, a perfect trail, or a completely open schedule. Sometimes twenty intentional minutes outside can begin to shift the body’s stress response.

And the benefits of nature are not limited to hiking trails or long walks. A 2019 systematic review in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health found that visual contact with natural elements, including flowers, green plants, and wooden materials, had positive effects on cerebral and autonomic nervous system activity compared with control settings.

In simpler terms, seeing nature can matter, too. That makes room for all kinds of outdoor wellness: a walk past a peaceful lake, a few minutes in the garden, coffee on the patio, sitting near flowers, watching the trees move, or letting the evening air settle around you while you laugh at a favorite show. This is important because wellness does not always need to look like discipline. Sometimes it looks like delight. Sometimes it looks like play. Sometimes it looks like rest. And sometimes, the magic is that we stop trying so hard for a moment and simply allow ourselves to be.

A simple coaching invitation for this month: find your outdoor reset. Choose one small way to get outside more intentionally. Take a short walk after dinner. Sit on the patio without multitasking. Step outside between tasks and take five slow breaths. Notice something green. Let the sun touch your face. Listen for birds. Walk the familiar route. Wave to the neighborhood dog. Let yourself be part of the world beyond your walls. Getting outside will not solve every problem. It will not erase grief, stress, responsibility, or uncertainty. But it can change the state from which we meet those things. And that matters. The life-changing magic of getting outside is not that nature asks us to become someone new. It helps us return to who we are underneath the hurry.

So, open the door and see what lies ahead. Take one breath, then another and embrace the magic. 

Your reset may be closer than you think.

Sources and Acknowledgments

This article draws upon professional experience, training, and evidence-informed research, including:

Hunter, M. R., Gillespie, B. W., & Chen, S. Y.-P. (2019). Urban Nature Experiences Reduce Stress in the Context of Daily Life Based on Salivary Biomarkers. Frontiers in Psychology, 10, Article 722. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00722

Jo, H., Song, C., & Miyazaki, Y. (2019). Physiological Benefits of Viewing Nature: A Systematic Review of Indoor Experiments. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16(23), Article 4739. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16234739

Professional Experience & Training:

A Time to Bloom Health and Wellness Coaching, LLC – informed by my work as a board-certified health and wellness coach supporting clients in creating lasting, holistic lifestyle change. https://atimetobloomcoaching.com.

Vanderbilt University Medical Center Health and Wellness Coach Training Program – foundational training in evidence-based coaching and behavioral health.