Ecotherapy, also called nature therapy, is the practice of using time in natural settings to support mental and physical health. It includes simple activities like walking in a park, gardening, or practicing mindfulness outdoors.
For cancer survivors, ongoing anxiety, depression, and stress are common. About 1 in 4 cancer survivors report ongoing distress that affects their day to day life. This can worsen physical symptoms and make daily life harder. Nature-based interventions can offer a gentle path toward relief.
How does ecotherapy work? How nature calms the body and mind
Spending time in natural environments offers measurable physical and emotional benefits. Studies show that interacting with nature helps lower stress, ease anxiety, and lessen feelings of depression.
It can also reduce inflammation and boost the immune system. Being surrounded by green spaces or natural views can reduce pain, reduce fatigue, and lower blood pressure. Nature restores a sense of peace, spiritual well-being, and emotional balance.
Connecting with the natural world with environmental therapy
You do not need to embark on an intense outdoor expedition to feel the benefits of nature. Nature-based support can easily adapt to different energy levels and physical abilities:
Simply resting in a backyard, sitting on a porch, or taking a gentle walk through a local park can significantly lower stress and improve fatigue.
Participating in structured activities like guided forest therapy, outdoor exercise groups, or mindfulness retreats can help you reflect, process your cancer experience, and build social connections with peers.
Even small, regular moments spent outdoors allow the mind to rest, helping you release tension and focus on healing.
Indoor nature activities
If low energy, medical procedures, or limited mobility keep you indoors, you can still experience the therapeutic effects of the outdoors:
Viewing Nature: Sitting near a window with a view of trees, plants, or gardens has been shown to reduce pain and anxiety in clinical settings.
Virtual Reality (VR) and Nature Sounds: Using nature-inspired VR simulations or listening to recorded sounds of birds, rain, or forest breezes can act as a positive distraction. These passive experiences help relax the mind, ease procedural stress, and improve sleep quality when going outside is not an option.
Understanding nature benefits with research
To better understand the connection between nature and healing, researchers analyzed 12 peer-reviewed studies published between 2013 and 2022. These studies evaluated the experiences of 2,786 cancer survivors. The patients varied across , cancer type, disease stage, and age. They included adults, young adults, and children.
They found time in nature provided:
Mental and physical relief: Across the board, nature-based interventions led to measurable improvements in anxiety, depression, perceived stress, pain, fatigue, and sleep quality.
A coping tool: In large surveys, survivors ranked time spent in natural settings as their most important resource for coping with a cancer diagnosis.
Biological benefits: Spending time in nature was shown to reduce systemic inflammation and increase natural killer (NK) cell activity, boosting the immune system's natural defense mechanisms.
The review confirmed that nature therapies can be delivered safely and effectively in many forms. From multi-day outdoor retreats and forest therapy to virtual reality nature experiences during medical procedures and simple window views.
Connecting with the natural world gives people with cancer and caregivers a safe space to recharge and find peace. Whether you step outside for fresh air or gaze at trees from a window, nature offers simple, accessible support. Embracing nature as a partner in your care can bring comfort, strength, and balance to every step of your life.
During the webinar, Robyn Tibert quoted the poem by Mary Oliver “Among the Trees”, which highlights the restorative capacity of the natural world to remind us of our inner significance and grace.
"When I am among the trees,
especially the willows and the honey locust,
equally the beech,
the oaks and the pines,
they give off such hints of gladness.
I would almost say that they save me…"
-Mary Oliver
Watch the webinar: Among the Trees, How Nature Supports Well-Being on the Cancer Journey
Discover the restorative power of the natural world in this insightful session focused on healing and renewal. Featuring oncology social worker Robyn Tibert, expert in helping patients and caregivers live fully, both during and following treatment, this webinar shows how evidence-based science of nature therapy (ecotherapy) and its profound impact on cancer care.
