Why We Crave Nature (Even When We Don’t Realise It)

There’s a reason you feel better after a walk in the woods or why sitting near a window makes everything seem a bit lighter. Nature is more than beautiful - it speaks to something ancient in all of us.

Written by: Femke Schouten

Waarom we naar de natuur verlangen (zelfs als we het ons niet realiseren)

I used to think I wasn’t a “nature person”. I liked cozy cafés, bookstores, and city life. But then I noticed something odd: the days I walked through the park instead of taking the pavement-heavy route home, I slept better. My mind felt less foggy. I felt... okay, in a way that didn’t require fixing.

That’s when I learned about biophilia - a term that means “love of life” or “love of living things”. It’s the idea that humans are naturally drawn to nature, not just emotionally but biologically. We’re wired to seek out trees, rivers, birdsong, and even the scent of soil.

It turns out, we don’t just like nature. We need it.

What Nature Does to Your Brain

Even brief exposure to natural environments can lower stress levels, reduce anxiety, and improve cognitive function. One study found that walking in nature - not even hiking, just strolling - can lower activity in the part of the brain linked to rumination, those repetitive, worry-heavy thoughts that don’t go anywhere.

Nature reduces cortisol (your stress hormone) and boosts serotonin and dopamine, those feel-good messengers in your brain. It literally softens the body’s stress response.

And it doesn’t take much. Some research shows benefits with just 10 to 20 minutes of nature exposure per day. That could be:

Drinking your coffee near an open window.
Sitting on a bench under a tree.
Watching the sky from your balcony.
Touching leaves or soil with your hands.

Why This Isn’t Just a “Nice to Have”

In urban life, we spend most of our time in artificial environments - indoors, under fluorescent light, surrounded by screens. Our eyes, ears, skin, and nervous systems are overstimulated in ways we weren’t designed for.

Nature is the opposite. It’s full of soft fascination - things that gently draw our attention without demanding it. A bird hopping between branches, light dancing on water, the sound of wind in the trees. These quiet patterns allow our minds to rest, even while awake.

Ways to Add a Little Nature to Your Day

You don’t need a mountain or a forest. You just need a moment. Here’s what I’ve found helpful:

Keep a plant near your desk or kitchen counter.
Open a window and listen - really listen - to the sounds outside.
Watch the changing light at different times of day.
Go barefoot in grass for a minute or two (if the weather allows).
Take the longer, greener route - even if it’s just three minutes more.

The Call of the Wild (Even in You)

Sometimes, I think our longing for nature is the body remembering something we’ve forgotten. That quiet forest trail? It feels safe because, somewhere deep inside, it is. That breeze on your skin or that glimpse of a star? It doesn’t just calm your mind - it reminds you that you’re alive.

And that maybe, you don’t need to do more. Maybe you just need to be outside for a moment and remember.

The writer

I’m Femke Schouten, a writer and quiet nature-lover from the Netherlands. I believe some of life’s best medicine is unspoken - like sunlight on your face or moss under your feet. Through small, mindful moments outdoors, I’ve found space to breathe again. I hope my words gently guide you there too.