Go Touch Grass: How Nature Therapy Can Restore Your Mind & Mood

I heard a younger friend recently tell someone that they needed to “go touch grass.” I figured it was slang for something, but no, it literally means go outside and remember something exists other than your screen.

The context we find ourselves in, day after day, is very loud—both physically loud and figuratively so. Our phones are chiming with a million alerts an hour, our email boxes are full of things that need to be answered immediately, texts and DMs come in at all hours, and keeping up with the latest news is almost impossible. This doesn’t even take into account our regular family responsibilities, our jobs, our communities. It’s exhausting. The mental load of modern life is real—and it’s affecting our health more than we realize.

There’s a book I love written by Dr. Mona Lisa Schultz, a psychiatrist and neuroscientist, called The New Feminine Brain. It’s written for people who aren’t scientists, and the basic premise is this: we weren’t made to deal with this level of constant mental bombardment, and it affects how we function. The incidence of anxiety, depression, attention issues, brain fog, and memory problems in young women has risen astronomically since the advent of the digital age. But how can we take care of ourselves in the face of all of this noise?

I’m not going to say bubble baths, candles, and wine, I promise—although that doesn’t sound half bad. I am going to tell you to go touch grass. Or to say it another way: embrace nature therapy.

The benefits of grounding, digital detox, and simply spending time in nature? Here are a few, if you need convincing:

✅ Reduced stress and anxiety

✅ Improved mood and happiness

✅ Enhanced focus and attention

✅ Increased creativity

✅ Better sleep

✅ Reduced risk of mental health issues

✅ Improved physical health and immune function

Did you know that if you have a dog, it actually extends your lifespan? The dog itself isn’t why; it’s the fact that our beloved doggy family member gets you up and outside, taking walks or playing fetch, or going to the park. It’s the "touching grass" effect again—intentional movement and fresh air that reconnect us with the natural world.

I’ve always had the kind of job that means I’m inside, with artificial lighting and artificial climate control, for many more hours per day than I am outside, and I think that’s probably true for a lot of us. For me, this became untenable a few years ago, and I began to long for a more rural landscape. We sold our suburban home and moved to a small farm. My days are now bookended by caring for our barnyard full of horses, a young bull, goats, and a bunch of chickens.

This is definitely not for everyone, and I’m not doing the Trad Wife thing. I am still a working mom, and I do none of it in heels; muck boots, a messy bun, and my bathrobe are how I roll around here, with nary a 1950s style dress and apron in sight. But it is intentional living. It’s slow living. And it works.

Do you need to run to the animal shelter and get a dog to force you outside? Or move to a farm and start following the chickens’ schedule? Definitely not. Should you make it a priority to put down your phone and get yourself outside a few times a week? Definitely, yes. You can go take a “forest bath,” or you can play tag with your kids. Go watch a sunset, or take a walk with a friend you haven’t seen in forever. And if touching grass involves a glass of wine and a soak in an outdoor tub, who’s judging? I’m right behind you.

With Purpose & Peace,

DeeLayne