Takeaway
For improved mood and lower stress, consider prescribing exposure to nature—urban parks and leafy sidewalks are free, accessible options. Try spending time there yourself, too.
Lifelong Learning in Clinical Excellence | November 24, 2025 | 2 min read
By Rachel Levine, MD, MPH, Johns Hopkins Medicine
I’ve found some of my most engaged and authentic moments with patients occur when I counsel them to do things I’ve benefited from myself, like taking a walk in the woods. For me, time in nature is an accessible form of meditation. By simply paying attention to the feel of the ground, the sound of birdsong, the breeze on my skin, or the gentle awareness of developing fatigue, I’m practicing mindfulness.
The evidence in support of practicing mindfulness is robust in 2025: it significantly improves mood, enhances emotional regulation, boosts attentiveness, and substantially decreases feelings of stress and anxiety. As a provider, these benefits translate directly to better patient care. I’m more present, able to connect more deeply, and better manage the constant distractions of a day in clinic.
Since getting to a forest isn’t always feasible, I supplement my nature walks with a regular meditation practice, often utilizing one of the many convenient smartphone apps now available.
“Green prescriptions”
Given my personal experience and the strong evidence, I frequently “prescribe” some form of mindfulness for patients struggling with chronic issues like anxiety, depression, chronic pain, poor sleep, and social isolation. The immense advantage of mindfulness over many pharmaceutical and invasive therapies is its lack of adverse effects and drug interactions, and free to low cost.
While structured meditation isn’t for everyone, everyone can practice mindfulness somewhere even by simply noticing their breath. However, emerging research in the 2020s has strongly reinforced the unique benefits of combining mindfulness with nature exposure, often termed “nature prescriptions” or “green prescriptions.”
The benefits of spending time in parks or forests—from lowering cortisol and blood pressure to improving immune function—are becoming undeniable. While various physiological mechanisms are at play (like inhaling beneficial compounds from trees, or phytoncides), I can’t help but believe that the core benefit is the practice of mindfulness that the environment encourages.
How to prescribe nature and get patients engaged:
In the face of rising chronic stress and mental health challenges, leveraging the natural world is a powerful, low-barrier intervention. Here are actionable tips for clinicians to prescribe and encourage patients to get outside:
1. Frame it as medicine, not just recreation.
2. Be specific.
Instead of saying, “Go for a walk,” prescribe it formally. Write “30 minutes of nature immersion, three times per week” in the After Visit Summary.
3. Explain the “dosage.”
Counsel patients that the dose is about presence, not pace. Encourage them to focus on sensory input: what they see, hear, and smell.
4. Cite the evidence.
Briefly mention the data (e.g., “Studies show two hours a week can significantly improve your well-being”).
5. Make it low barrier.
Validate urban nature. If the forest is inaccessible, reassure patients that an urban park, leafy sidewalk, or community garden offers significant benefits. The goal is to engage with any natural environment.
6. Tie it to an existing habit.
Encourage simple integrations: “Walk the dog an extra 15 minutes in the grass,” or “Drink your morning coffee sitting by a window that overlooks a tree.”
7. Practice what you preach.
Briefly share your experience: Mention that you’ve benefited from spending time outside. This authentic sharing builds rapport and credibility better than any textbook recommendation.
So, consider prescribing a walk in an urban park, the woods, or simply down a local sidewalk. It’s an intervention supported by evidence, validated by experience, and universally available.
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