The Ultimate Health Hack? Forget Pills. Try Sunshine and Dirt

Getting outdoors is as close to a cure-all as you’ll find. It’s fast and free, with few (if any) side effects

By Charlotte Hilton Andersen Published Oct 13, 2025 00:55:59 IST

The Ultimate Health Hack? Forget Pills. Try Sunshine and Dirt

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Early 2023 was a tough time for Taylor MacMahon. The 21-year-old college student says she was “struggling with some intense anxiety and depression, which led to physical health issues as well.” So MacMahon decided to seek help from a doctor. The diagnosis she received—chronic anxiety—wasn’t much of a surprise. But the treatment her doctor prescribed was.

“She literally told me to ‘go touch grass,’ ” MacMahon recalls, quoting a popular internet meme meant to poke gentle fun at people so caught up in their online world that they forget the real world exists. MacMahon laughed, but her doctor was being serious. “She told me the next time I was obsessing over a worry, to stop what I was doing, go outside, take my shoes off and put my feet in the grass. She said it would be therapeutic.”

MacMahon was skeptical at first, but she decided to follow her doctor’s advice and was surprised to discover how well—and quickly—it worked. Simply being outdoors short-circuited her anxiety. “I immediately felt more calm and relaxed,” MacMahon says.

So when one of her professors suggested she enroll in a summer course called Nature Immersion and Human Well-Being, she jumped at the opportunity. For one week at Colorado State University’s mountain campus, she experienced all kinds of healing through activities in nature, from hiking to swimming to climbing trees to sitting around the campfire.

“I learnt not just that nature works as a cure for mental and physical problems, but how and why it works,” she says. “That week was life changing. It felt magical.”

MacMahon’s experience aligns with a growing trend in medicine: doctors prescribing time in nature to their patients to address a wide variety of physical and mental health concerns. These ‘nature prescriptions’ aren’t just feel-good recommendations; they’re evidence-based interventions backed by science. And they’re becoming increasingly popular for just the reason MacMahon said: They work.

Scott Kaiser, MD, a board-certified geriatrician and director of geriatric cognitive health at the Pacific Neuroscience Institute, is one of these doctors. He says he frequently uses nature prescriptions to help his patients mentally and physically.

“Nature has a profound impact on healthy ageing and overall well-being,” he explains. “There are several factors in healthy ageing—diet, exercise, mindfulness, community, creativity and a sense of purpose—and being outdoors can provide access to all of these, often at the same time. I can’t overstate how powerful nature can be as a healer.”

Bert Mandelbaum, MD, a sports medicine specialist and orthopaedic surgeon at Cedars-Sinai Ker-lan-Jobe Institute in Santa Monica, California, also prescribes time in nature to his patients.

“Getting outside takes us back to how we were designed to work; it’s like a reset for our bodies,” he says. “I tell my patients that being outdoors has nose-to-toes benefits.”

How to Fill a Nature Prescription

“Nature prescriptions aren’t necessarily about getting exercise or pumping your heart, although they can do that too. They’re more about mindfulness and soaking in the outdoors,” Mandelbaum says. Kaiser agrees: “Nature treats the whole person, not just symptoms.”

Here are some common ways that Kaiser, Mandelbaum and other doctors in a variety of fields are using the great outdoors to improve their patients’ health:

'Sensory walks' are an easy way to get started. Kaiser advises walking mindfully through nature while focusing on all five senses, paying attention to what you can see, smell, hear, touch and even taste. Leave your gadgets at home, he adds, so you can be undistracted and really experience it all.

To take it to the next level, head to a nature preserve, forest, botanical garden, mountain or lake and engage in “forest bathing.” This Japanese practice, known as shinrin-yoku, means immersing yourself in a forest environment—not with a goal, like hiking to a destination, but simply to exist in nature and soak it in, as you would a warm bath.

Another prescription gaining popularity is cold therapy, exposing yourself to cold water or air. Some swear by this, although actual research is mixed. If you want to give it a try, one way to do this is a cold plunge. Submerge yourself in a body of water that feels uncomfortably cold (the discomfort is the point!) and stay there for 30 seconds to a minute. Most people start with water that’s about 50 to 60 degrees, though some go colder as their tolerance increases.

If that sounds too intense, you could try simply walking for 15 minutes in the early morning. Sunlight on your skin stimulates vitamin D production, “which is really essential for many aspects of health and well-being,” Kaiser says. And getting early morning sunlight in your eyes will help sync your circadian cycle. However, if you’re on a medication or have a medical condition that makes you more sensitive to sunlight, talk to your doctor first.

Other simple prescriptions include gardening, hiking, biking, swimming or picnicking. The options are almost limitless. And if active pursuits feel like too much, even just sitting outdoors on your patio or on a park bench will bring benefits, our docs say.

Kaiser and Mandelbaum emphasize that nature prescriptions are adaptable. “It’s about finding what works for each person; for instance, I once used whale-watching as a prescription for one patient because they loved being on the ocean,” says Kaiser. “Yours might be watching the sunset from your backyard. Mine is sitting on the beach or riding waves.”

How long do you need to do it? “Even small doses of nature can make a big difference,” Kaiser says. “This doesn’t need to be an escape to Walden Pond for two years; simply sitting under a tree for five minutes will reduce stress and improve your mood.”

That said, try to get 30 minutes to an hour of nature exposure at least two or three times a week, he recommends. You can combine this with exercise, like walking or biking, as these healthy habits build on each other, but you don’t have to. You’ll still see benefits even if your heart rate doesn’t soar.

For MacMahon, 15 minutes is her sweet spot. She goes outside every day, rain or shine, and has a longer outdoor experience of several hours once or twice a month.

“My favourite nature prescription is to just lie down under a tree and stare up at the leaves and sky,” MacMahon says. “I learnt in my class that just being around trees improves my immune system, lowers my risk of cancer and increases my creativity, focus and problem-solving—all things I definitely need as a college student.”

New Evidence It Works

The idea of nature as medicine isn’t new. Ancient practices like Ayurvedic ritucharya, or seasonal syncing (the practice of altering your diet, activity and sleep cycles according to the season of the year), Japanese shinrin-yoku, and traditional Chinese medicine have long touted the benefits of connecting with nature. But Western medicine is now catching up, thanks to a growing body of research.

A 2023 systematic review and meta-analysis published in the Lancet looked at 92 separate studies of nature prescription programs. The findings were impressive: Nature prescriptions can lower both systolic and diastolic blood pressure, inflammation and risk of cardiovascular disease. They can also aid weight loss, lessen chronic pain and improve mobility. On the mental health side, nature prescriptions can lower stress, depression and anxiety while improving cognitive function. And these are just a few of the health benefits the researchers found.

“On a personal level, I saw this in action with a patient of mine who was in her 80s with Alzheimer’s,” Kaiser says. “Her family was at their wits’ end because she was constantly agitated, upset and unhappy despite having all her needs cared for. I added a ‘prescription’ for daily nature walks, and the difference was absolutely incredible. She became more engaged, had improved function and, most importantly, was much happier. That daily walk became the most important ‘medicine’ she took.”

Mandelbaum adds that his patients who take his nature prescriptions to heart seem to recover from surgery better. “The science is clear,” Kaiser says. “Nature isn’t just a luxury; it’s a necessity for good health.”

Veronica Ivy, a 43-year-old former professional cyclist, would agree. In 2017, at the peak of her career, she found herself suddenly struggling to make it through training rides. She was exhausted—far more than she would expect to be from her usual training—and felt really down. She was diagnosed with chronic PTSD and severe generalized anxiety disorder.

“I couldn’t sleep, and I couldn’t function,” she recalls. “My psychiatrist recognized that I processed stress through physical activity, but my intense training was making my symptoms worse. So her first prescription, even before medications, was to try something physical that wouldn’t be something that I would perceive in terms of performance or doing it right or wrong. She prescribed me … paddleboarding.”

Ivy had never paddleboarded, yet she took the prescription seriously, rented a paddleboard and headed out to Shem Creek in South Carolina.

“I enjoyed it almost immediately,” she says. “I didn’t push myself, just focused on enjoying being outside, on the water. I didn’t have any goals per se, other than to notice and experience my surroundings. I kept an eye out for the reports of manatees in the creek, and while I didn’t see any, I did have a dolphin swim alongside me, which was delightful. I wasn’t anticipating that feeling.”

Kaiser says Ivy’s feeling of amazement and joy is key. He explains that being in nature brings “eudaemonic” happiness, which provides a deep sense of purpose, hope and meaning—as opposed to “hedonic” happiness, which prioritizes pleasure and avoiding pain.

“Nature gives us this long-term happiness,” he says, “as opposed to the short-term, immediate gratification type of happiness. That sense of wonder and awe is priceless and impacts your entire well-being.”

Ivy has since moved to a colder climate, so she paddleboards less. But the nature prescription has stuck with her. She now goes on regular hiking or mountaineering adventures.

“I consider the outdoors an essential part of my health care now,” she says.

Write Your Own Nature Prescription

You don’t need to see your doctor to start experiencing the benefits of being outdoors. Here are some simple tips from our experts on how to incorporate nature into your daily routine:

Match your sleep schedule to the sun. If your schedule allows, try to get up as the sun rises and wind down as the sun sets.
Get early morning sun, preferably by walking outdoors. You could park farther away from your work entrance or take the dog out for a quick stroll after breakfast.
Spend five to 20 minutes every day in green spaces. Sip your coffee on the deck instead of on the couch, or take your lunch break under a tree.
Try ‘grounding’ or ‘earthing’. This is where the ‘go touch grass’ idea comes in. Walk barefoot to get the mail or kick off your shoes the next time you’re at an outdoor concert. (Just be careful to watch where you’re going so you don’t step on anything painful!)
Practise nature mindfulness. When you’re outdoors, put away your phone. Instead, watch the clouds, listen to the birds or simply observe your surroundings.
Grow a garden. And make sure to get your hands dirty: There are healthy microbes in the soil. If your access to outdoor space is limited, even an indoor herb garden can provide mental health benefits.

MacMahon says she has seen a marked improvement in both her mental and physical symptoms in the year since she finished the nature immersion class. “Now I actually crave my nature time and feel myself getting restless if I don’t get it,” she says. “I lie under a tree and melt into the ground like a marshmallow. I look up at the tiny fluttery leaves above me. I let the earth hold me and comfort me. Then I feel this immense sense of just gratitude and wonder.”

We can all feel this good, just by being outside. Nature prescriptions work even if you don’t think you have the time—especially if you don’t think you have the time.

Kaiser puts it like this: “When you feel so overwhelmed with your life that you feel like you can’t fit one more thing in—that’s exactly when you need to write your own nature prescription. You’ll immediately be happier, healthier and, yes, more productive in the rest of your life. It’s worth it.”

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