There’s wondrous “medicine” waiting for you, if you’ll only step out the door and let it work for you.
Getty Images For Unsplash+A few years ago, a patient told me she felt better after walking her dog than she did after our sessions. I wasn’t offended. I was curious.
She wasn’t wrong. And the science backs her up.
We’ve spent decades trying to fix mental health with pills, therapy offices, and waiting rooms. All of those things have their place. But somewhere along the way, we forgot about something that’s been working for human beings since before we had a word for therapy. We forgot about going outside.
Why I Wrote It
My new book is called “GET OUT! A Shrink’s Guide to Using the Great Outdoors as Therapy,” and the title is exactly what it sounds like. It’s a practical, research-backed guide to using nature — real nature, the kind that’s already around you — as a tool for your mental health.
I didn’t want to write something you’d need a science degree to read. I wanted something you could finish on a Sunday afternoon and start using on Monday morning. So that’s what I built.
What’s Discussed
The book covers areas where the outdoors can directly support your mental and physical health. We’re talking about things like:
1. The chemicals trees release that lower your stress hormones.
2. The connection between sunlight and serotonin — and how little you actually need.
3. Why standing near water calms your nervous system.
4. How putting your bare feet on grass has measurable effects on inflammation.
5. What Japanese forest bathing actually is, and why it works.
6. The bacteria in garden soil that trigger your brain’s feel-good response.
None of this is guesswork. All of it has research behind it. and I provide an extensive reference for anyone wanting to read more about it. And none of it requires a gym membership, a prescription, or an expensive retreat.
Who Needs the Great Outdoors?
If you’ve ever felt better after a walk and wondered why, this book explains it. If you’re dealing with anxiety, low mood, or that flat, hollow feeling that comes from too much screen time and not enough world, this book gives you something concrete to do about it. If you’ve been in therapy or on medication and you’re looking for something to add to your toolkit, this book fits right in.
It’s not about replacing anything you’re already doing. It’s about adding the one thing most of us have stopped doing almost entirely.
The Part That Surprised Even Me
Researching this book, I kept running into studies I didn’t expect. The biodiversity one stopped me cold. It turns out that the variety of nature around you — different plants, birds, insects, ecosystems — has a direct and measurable effect on your mental wellbeing. Your nervous system evolved in a rich, complex natural world. When you’re surrounded by that richness, even briefly, it responds.
That’s not a metaphor. That’s biology.
Where to Find It
GET OUT! is on Amazon. If you’ve been reading my work here on Medium and you want something you can hold in your hands, put in your bag, and actually use — this is it. For now, though? Finish reading this. Then go outside.