Finding Comfort Outside – How Nature Therapy for Grief Gently Heals

When I lost my husband, I didn’t expect trees to comfort me. Or birdsong. Or even the way the wind felt as it passed through the leaves. Although I have always loved to garden, it didn’t occur to me to question the reasons as to why I enjoyed it. I just presumed it was something I did with my husband while he was manicuring the lawn (that he took such pride in).  But over time, I found myself drawn to the quiet. The kind that only comes when you’re outside, away from the buzz of doing, and just still.

That stillness didn’t take my pain away, but it gave me space to breathe. If you’re grieving, whether you’ve lost a spouse, a parent, a friend, or a child, I want you to know about nature therapy for grief. It isn’t about hiking long trails or meditating under waterfalls. It’s about little, everyday moments outside that gently hold your sorrow.

What Is Nature Therapy for Grief?

Nature therapy is the practice of using natural settings to support emotional healing. It could be a quiet walk through a park, sitting in your garden with a warm drink, or even placing your hands in the soil. Research shows that nature can lower stress, stabilize mood, and regulate the nervous system, all of which are often thrown off by grief.

What I’ve learned, both personally and professionally, is that grief needs somewhere to go. It needs release. Nature offers a way to express sorrow without judgment, and without needing to explain or perform.

Why Nature Works When Words Fall Short

Grief isn’t logical. It doesn’t respond to timelines or tidy answers. And often, we get tired of talking, or don’t have anyone safe to talk to. That’s where nature therapy for grief comes in.

Here’s why it works:

• Nature accepts silence. There’s no pressure to “move on.”
• The rhythms of the natural world, sunrise, blooming flowers, and seasons, mirror the slow process of healing.
• Movement outdoors, like walking, helps process emotion physically, not just mentally.
• Being near water, trees, or open skies can help calm the nervous system.

You don’t need a forest. A nearby park bench or tree in your yard is enough.

How to Start Nature Therapy in Your Grief Journey

You don’t need a plan or a checklist. The best way to start is simply to go outside with intention.

Here are a few gentle ideas to try:

• Sit quietly outside for five minutes a day. Let your eyes rest on whatever draws your attention: leaves, clouds, or grass.
• Take a short walk without your phone. Listen to the sounds around you. Let your mind wander.
• Plant something. Watching it grow might feel like a small reminder that something good can come after loss.
• Write outside. Bring a journal and write what you feel, or nothing at all. Just being there is enough.

Grief Doesn’t Like to Be Rushed

One of the reasons I talk about nature therapy for grief so much is that it moves at the pace grief needs. It’s slow. It’s patient. It doesn’t demand a breakthrough or measure your healing. In a world that pushes you to “get over it,” nature gives you permission to just be in it and still be okay.

Through my work in grief support and coaching, I’ve walked alongside many who found peace not in answers, but in quiet moments. I’ve seen how sitting under a tree becomes prayer. How watching a sunset becomes a release. And how each step outdoors becomes a step forward, even if it’s small.

Final Thought

If you’re carrying grief and don’t know what to do next, try stepping outside. It might not solve anything, but it might soften something. Nature therapy for grief gives us a way to reconnect with the world, with our breath, and with a hope that gently grows over time.

I’ve been there. I still go there. And in those moments when the ache is loud, I often find a bit of peace in the quiet of the trees.