Why you need your nature fix

Last year I read The Nature Fix by Florence Williams and it really resonated with me.
In the book, journalist Williams talks about how nature makes us happier, healthier, and more creative. She explores – with credible science from around the world – how being outside can improve your health, prevent depression, and strengthen relationships.
The need for nature to restore us is primal and recognizing that is really a gift to yourself. I live by the John Burroughs’ quote, ‘I go to nature to be soothed and healed and to have my senses put in order.’
I instinctively need the woods, fields, mountains or water when I feel overwhelmed and stressed with life. My husband knows it too and sweetly suggests day trips to natural beauty spots when he senses the walls are closing in on me.
In the Nature Fix, Williams talks about the nature pyramid, the three tiers of nature we need in our lives.

At the base, Williams says, is our nearby nature where we spend most of our time – the good views, green school yards, and trees in our cities. Next, she says we need more immersive visits to parks and woods and to spend half a day outside once in a while.
At the top of the pyramid, are the rarer, but critical and special exposures to really wild places – the experiences we can access at critical times in our lives when we are going through change, grief, trauma, or need to figure things out about ourselves. Williams states that the wilderness is a great place to do that and has been for so many cultures, but we’ve lost sight of that.
So next time you feel down, frustrated, anxious, or in need of inspiration, remember the nature pyramid. Which tier can you prescribe for yourself? Head for nature and let me know how it made you feel.