When you listen to bird song, smell pine needles or watch tree branches swaying in the wind, what is happening in your brain? For that matter, what is happening in your body? Does your level of stress drop when you are out in nature?

The Nature Fix:

When writer Florence Williams moved from Boulder, Colorado, to Washington, DC, she discovered unexpectedly how much her sense of well-being depended on being outside where she could see mountains every day. Getting into natural environments in the city was much more of a challenge. But even urban dwellers get measurable benefits like lower blood pressure when they can walk in a park.

Viewing Nature Can Reduce Pain:

Research suggests that getting into nature–or even viewing nature videos–can help us manage pain. Most people experiencing acute pain reach for an analgesic such as aspirin, ibuprofen or naproxen. Researchers at the University of Vienna might suggest adding a dose of nature.

Their research team examined the effect of nature-based therapies on the experience of acute pain (Nature Communications, March 13, 2025). Researchers administered electric shocks to the back of the left hand of volunteers while they were undergoing functional MRI scans of the brain. At the same time, the participants viewed three different types of scenes. One type focused on natural settings, such as a beautiful body of water surrounded by trees. Urban scenes comprised the second type; a city skyline was typical. Indoor scenes made up the third type of experimental stimulus. The example would be a picture of an office with a desk and a computer.

The volunteers rated how painful the shock was. Those observing the natural settings rated their pain as less intense and less unpleasant. Brain imaging confirmed less activation in pain processing centers while volunteers watched the nature scenes.

The authors point out that their study confirms 40-year old findings that surgical patients recovered more quickly and needed fewer pain pills if the window of their hospital room looked out on trees compared to a brick wall. The researchers suggest that easy-to-administer virtual nature exposure might have important practical implications for managing pain. Our interview with Florence Williams predates publication of this research, but it is entirely consistent with what she told us.

How Does Nature Make Us Feel Better?

How do humans respond to nature? Why are we wired that way? Williams spoke with neuroscientists and forest rangers from Japan and Korea to Utah to find out about the emerging science of immersion in nature. The more we pay attention to our electronic screens, it seems, the more we need to take in sky and horizons, running water or blowing breezes. Find out if you should go for a walk after listening to the show or perhaps plan a camping trip soon.

This Week’s Guest:

Florence Williams is a journalist and contributing editor to Outside magazine. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, National Geographic and elsewhere.

Her books include Breasts: A Natural and Unnatural History and her most recent, The Nature Fix: Why Nature Makes Us Happier, Healthier, and More Creative. She hosts a podcast for Audible, Breasts Unbound. Her website is www.florencewilliams.com The photo of Florence William was taken by Sue Barr.

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