Early Spring: Returning to What Grounds Us

I hope this newsletter finds you with a peaceful mind and heart.
5-minute read

Photo by Luca Dross - Pexels

As early spring begins to unfold, many of us start to feel a quiet pull toward the outdoors, longer days, a bit more light, a sense that something is slowly waking up again.

Lately, I’ve been reading Forest Bathing: How Trees Can Help You Find Health and Happiness by Dr. Qing Li, along with The Comfort of Crows: A Backyard Year by Margaret Renkl. Both, in different ways, highlight something simple but powerful: time in nature supports our mental well-being in real and measurable ways.

Research has shown that spending time in natural environments can help reduce stress, lower anxiety, improve mood, and even support concentration and overall emotional balance. It doesn’t have to be complicated or extreme, just being outside, even briefly, can begin to shift how we feel.

Why Nature Matters More Than We Think

Humans didn’t evolve sitting indoors, staring at screens, and moving from one enclosed space to another. For most of human history, we lived much closer to the natural world. Our bodies and minds are still wired to respond to it.

While modern life has many benefits, it also means we’re often disconnected from something deeply regulating, fresh air, natural light, movement, and the sensory experience of being outside.

You don’t have to think of it in extreme terms. But it’s fair to say this:
being in nature supports the nervous system in ways that indoor, screen-heavy environments often don’t.

Photo by Cottonbro Studio - Pexels

​Small Ways to Reconnect

This isn’t about adding pressure or creating another “should.” It’s about small, realistic shifts that can support your well-being:

• Take a short walk outside, even 5-10 minutes
• Sit on a porch, bench, or in your yard without your phone
• Visit a local park or walking path
• Open a window and notice the air, sounds, and light
• Try “hands in the dirt” gardening, planting, or even tending to a small plant
• If it feels comfortable, stand barefoot on the ground for a moment and notice the sensation

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Photo by Blue Bird - Pexels

A Thought to Carry Into the Spring Season
​You don’t have to figure everything out, sometimes it’s enough to step outside and remember you’re part of something that already knows how to grow.

As the spring season unfolds consider this a gentle invitation back to something simple and steady. You don’t have to do it perfectly, just begin.

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​Supporting You Through Life Changes

Early spring can also bring reflection, on where you’ve been and where you’re headed. Life transitions, stress, anxiety, grief, and emotional fatigue don’t disappear just because the seasons change.

This is the work I most enjoy, supporting adults as they move through life’s changes with more clarity, steadiness, and self-compassion. Whether you’re navigating something specific or just feeling “off,” therapy can be a place to sort through what you’re carrying and find a way forward that feels more like you.

For those who may want to know, I offer self-pay counseling with a sliding scale of $85-$125 per session. I don’t accept insurance, which allows our work to stay flexible, private, and focused on your individual needs.

Warmly,
Tracy Hunt, MSEd, LPCC
Turning Inward Counseling
www.turninginwardllc.com