This Simple Habit Can Lift a Bad Mood

How One Natural Practice Can Help You Feel Better Without Pills or Screens

Arnold Arboretum: Image by author

Last week, my therapist asked me to spend some time in nature as a remedy for stress and overwhelm.

She specifically asked me to look at a tree for a full five minutes without distractions and then work on my deep breathing exercises.

So, I took myself to Arnold’s Arboretum, a public park in Boston.

The Arnold Arboretum is part of Olmsted’s famous Emerald Necklace and holds the title of America’s oldest public arboretum. Founded in 1872 and managed by Harvard University, the park features meadows, forests, ponds, and Peters Hill — the highest spot in the Emerald Necklace, offering amazing views of the Boston skyline.

Walking in, my mind was weighed down with logistics about caregiving from afar— my father’s declining health and my mother’s dementia. I feel stretched thin, constantly pulled between my duties as an elder daughter and my life as a single parent.

I’m just one person wearing many hats, and sometimes it wears me out.

This time of year, the rhododendron bushes at the park are especially resplendent. I was told I missed the beautiful cherry blossoms, which peaked around Mother’s Day. Still, I…