A robust body of evidence suggests that connectedness to nature improves psychological health.

Neuroimaging shows the human brain is being "rewired" by increased digital exposure in modern life.

Ecotherapists encourage intentional engagement with nature to balance time spent online.

At this time of year, the sound of returning songbirds fills the air, fresh bright leaves spring from bare branches, early color pops in our gardens, and the daylight stays a bit longer in the evenings. The newness of spring reminds us of the cyclical character of nature. It’s no wonder that April is often referred to as Earth Month. This season of renewal may help us reawaken our kinship with the more-than-human world.

There is a robust body of evidence that connectedness to nature is good for our physical and psychological health. Research demonstrates that nature connectedness lessens stress, lowers our blood pressure, reduces ruminations associated with depression, and lessens anxiety, while increasing our sense of happiness, fostering creativity, and impacting pro-environmental behaviors. Research has shown that time spent interacting with nature also stimulates brain regions involved in empathy—the ability to understand and vicariously experience the emotions and perspectives of another person.

But due to our urban, industrialized, technological culture, we have become more removed from nature than at any time in our species history.

The Decline of Our Exposure to Nature

It is estimated that by 2050, 70 percent of the world’s population will live in urban centers. The average adult currently spends more than 93 percent of their time indoors (Bratman et al., 2015), often in front of a screen. A 2019 Nielsen report found that the average adult spent 11.5 hours each day consuming media. Half of the 18-29-year-olds surveyed that same year by the Pew Research Center said they were online almost constantly. Studies by the Kaiser Foundation tell us that in 2010, children ages 8-18 spent on average 7.5 hours each day engaged with some sort of screen for entertainment and only 4-7 minutes each day in unstructured outdoor play (Rideout et al., 2010). A follow-up study found that the time spent in front of a screen increased to 9.9 hours in 2016, and this did not include computer time in school or doing homework. We can assume that since the pandemic, those screen time hours have increased again.

With competition for our time and attention, less exposure to nature may undermine our connection with—and appreciation of—the natural world. For instance, a study of 16,000 people in England who said they do not visit natural environments regularly, 22 percent reported they were “not interested,” felt that time in nature was “not for people like them,” or reported “no particular reason” for not visiting nature (Boyd et al., 2018).

As we expand our lens to include the ecological system of our patients, ecotherapists might ask: What happens when one ceases to have direct experiences in the natural environment? How does this extinction of experience affect the individual? What influence does a diminished experience of nature have on conservation efforts and on the recognition of the connection between human health and planetary health (Hasbach, 2025)? What influence does an absence of nature connectedness have on society?

Ecotherapists and the 'Nature Prescription'

A recent article by the President and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation points out that neuroscientists link so much digital exposure to thinning of the cerebral cortex, the brain’s center for memory and decision-making. It also desensitizes our dopamine reward system, mirroring the effects of addiction. Time spent online is literally rewiring our brains. Neuroimaging also shows that time in nature stimulates regions in the brain that involve empathy—an emotion that may help to heal our polarized nation (O’Mara, 2026).

As ecotherapists, this might be a good time to remind our patients of the benefits of nature connectedness. We might consider writing a nature prescription that encourages them to step outside and engage with the nearby nature around them or venture out to wilder places. We might brainstorm with them how they can integrate their digital technology with a nature experience. For example, we might ask them to take photographs of a meaningful place, or an example of resilience in nature, or something they were drawn to. Alternatively, we might ask them to take a tech fast for an afternoon as they wander in a local park or stroll along the beach.

These intentional acts of engagement with nature may provide balance in our tech-heavy society. Spring may provide the opportunity to slow our pace, notice what we notice, and open our senses to the real world around us. Those experiences may also help us move forward toward a kinder, safer, and more just and empathetic world.

This post contains excerpts from my book, Prescribing Nature: A Clinician’s Guide to Ecotherapy.

To find a therapist, visit the Psychology Today Therapy Directory.

Boyd, F., White, M., Bell, S., & Burt, J. (2018). Who doesn’t visit natural environments for recreation and why: A population representative analysis of spatial, individual, and temporal factors among adults in England. Landscape and Urban Planning (Vol. 175, pp. 102-113).

Bratman, G.N., Hamilton, J. P., Hahn, K.S., Daily, G.C., & Gross, J.J. (2015). Nature experience reduces rumination and subgenual prefrontal cortex activation. PNAS, 112, 8567-8572

Hasbach, P.H. (2025). Prescribing Nature: A Clinician’s Guide to Ecotherapy. Norton Professional Books

O’Mara, C. (2026). To Heal Our Nation, Touch Grass.’ National Wildlife, Spring 2026, Vol. 64, Number 2

Rideout, V.J., Foehr, U.G., & Roberts, D.F. (2010). Generation M2: Media in the lives of 8-18-year-olds. Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation.

The Nielsen Total Audience Report: September 2019. https://www.nielsen.com/insights/2019/the-nielsen-total-audience-report…

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