If you are a parent in 2024, or somebody that works with children, it is no secret that many of our youth are experiencing high levels of stress. Stress is cumulative, and comes in all shapes and sizes. It is also bioindividual, meaning the impact it has on someone is different from person to person.

How does stress impact a child? The answer is that it can do so in many ways. You may see a child seemingly blow their top over something small, or a child meltdown into a puddle of tears for no apparent reason. You may notice the tone of voice that comes out of a child’s mouth seems sharp and intense, despite the rhythm of that day. Some children retreat into silence and solitude. Some children pull back from things that used to bring them joy. And on and on… Stress is like a chameleon.

One commonality I have seen over the years as an occupational therapist is physical tension in a child’s body, and hypervigilance in their eyes. When you see a child who is in a chronic state of stress, you can tell by their physical appearance.

As an occupational therapist and a trained professional who considers the whole person, we always look to the context and the environment as part of our assessment. We want to know where a child spends most of their time. If that environment is too stressful for the nervous system, and they do not have a healthy outlet to decompress, then they will stay stuck in a fight-flight-freeze or fawn response. What’s worse is that the brain and the nervous system are adaptable and will come to think that this is the norm. Stress will become the baseline for this child, and over time it will become harder and harder to manage stress and therefore decrease anxiety.

Nature…

How can nature help play a role in managing stress and anxiety? This is a heavily researched question, and I am happy to report that the findings are in our favor. Immersing oneself in nature has vast benefits.

1. Open Spaces – Tapping into the visual processing system in the body, being in open spaces in nature communicates to the brain that you are not in danger, running for your life. If you were running for your life or in danger, the visual system would not be gazing smoothly across the pond or looking at long distances. It would be darting back and forth as you ran for safety.

2. Green and Blue Colors – Thanks to evolution, our brain perceives green spaces and blue spaces as a safe environment to be in, promoting the parasympathetic nervous system. There’s a reason why looking out across a crystal-blue ocean or gazing at a mountain view triggers a sense of awe. It’s grounding and innate, and your blood pressure drops immediately.

3. Attention Restoration – Attention restoration theory is quite powerful. Something to pay attention to for friends who have ADHD, very busy brains, or inattention. When you immerse yourself in nature, your brain can take a deep breath, stop overthinking, and stop processing so much. It can literally restore the sustained attention part of the brain.

4. Nervous System Regulation – Being in nature has positive physiological outcomes on the body. Stress and anxiety manifest in the body first and then trigger thought cycles. Nervous system regulation occurs when you are in nature, as it drops your heart rate, stabilizes your blood pressure, and steadies your breathing. All of these positively affect your nervous system and give it a chance to shift to “rest and digest” mode. That’s why a two-day camping trip feels so rejuvenating!

5. Sensory Processing – All day long, our brain processes and integrates sensory information. We are all designed this way. The trick is understanding how much stimulation and processing is enough in any given day. Only when we are truly quiet and regulated can our brain integrate everything we’ve learned or processed. For children, being part of society or going to school is more than enough stimulation. Nature gives just the right amount of sensory input to all senses without overwhelming the body, making it a home-run environment for developing children.

There are many other key reasons why nature is a great tool for managing stress, but understanding these five takeaways is key to starting your stress management journey or helping guide that journey for your child.

Resources available upon request