How To Use Nature To Heal Your Anxiety

I am electrified by hustling, bustling cities. I love the melting pot of sights and sounds, people and religions and cultures, art and food, and everything in between. Although it never ceases to inspire, it also has a way of squashing the seeds of sweetness and spaciousness we are all born with that, for many of us, are nourished by spending time in nature.

I cannot say that nature has 100 percent healed my pattern of type-A anxieties—fear of being disliked or letting someone down, among other things—but I can say that, like yoga, it dramatically enhances my well-being.

Being in any type of natural surrounding—for me personally, that means by the ocean—is like a long sigh of relief. It is an exhale, a hug, a comfy pillow or blanket, a sweet friend. I like to say that ocean and sunset are my favorite colors because to me there is nothing more heartwarming than witnessing this masterpiece. I was fortunate enough to visit the town of Oia in Santorini and, with a local beer in hand alongside foreigners and locals alike, watched the sun slide itself down from the sky to the sea. Like any unique travel memory, a piece of that special scene still exists within me. To read more from Sasha Nelson, click here.