Stress isn’t just about pressure - it’s about lack of space

Carpenters Wood, Croxley Green

April is Stress Awareness Month.

We’re used to hearing about stress. It shows up in workplaces, schools, homes, often framed as something to manage, reduce or fix. And the solutions tend to follow a familiar pattern - tips, techniques, tools. But there’s something important that often gets overlooked:

Stress isn’t just about what we’re carrying. It’s also about whether we ever put it down.

In many of our lives, there is very little true pause.

We have our lists, move from one task to the next, one demand to another, even our downtime is often filled with noise, screens or low-level distraction.

Our nervous system rarely gets a chance to fully reset.

This is where nature offers something different.

Not as a quick fix, but as a change in conditions, surroundings.

In a forest bathing session, nothing dramatic happens - on the surface. There’s no pressure to achieve anything. No expectation to perform or respond. No comparing.

But slowly, something shifts.

Attention begins to settle. Breathing deepens. The body softens.

People often arrive carrying stress they weren’t even fully aware of… and leave feeling lighter, clearer, more grounded. Not because they’ve added something new. But because, for a while, they’ve stopped.

It is scientifically proven that time in nature supports reduced stress levels, improved mood and better cognitive function. But beyond the research, there’s also something more intuitive.

We are not separate from the natural world.  We are nature.

And when we spend time in environments that operate at a different pace - slower, quieter, more rhythmic - our own systems begin to respond. In a culture that prioritises speed, productivity and constant availability, this can feel unfamiliar. Even uncomfortable at first. But it may be exactly what’s needed.

Stress awareness is important.  But awareness alone isn’t enough. We also need to create the conditions that allow stress to ease.

Sometimes, that starts with something very simple.

Stepping outside.

Noticing.

Slowing down.

And giving ourselves permission to be, rather than do.

Nature and outdoors can help boost your health - here's how - BBC News