Reflection in Nature – connection and compassion

Research shows that wellbeing-in-nature activities not only reduce stress and support health but also foster social connection and compassion.  Forest Bathing in the UK has been found to increase compassion for others by 18% (McEwan et al., 2021), while online programmes for people with long Covid reported an 81% increase in social connection (McEwan et al., 2022).  More recently, virtual Forest Bathing sessions for people with mobility impairments or chronic illness have shown how inclusive, peer-led nature practices can create feelings of belonging (McEwan et al., 2023).

People spoke of experiencing “grounding social connection” and feeling part of a supportive community, as well as a renewed sense of belonging to the natural world.  For example, the person who noticed a trickle of water and imagined it leading to the sea, and that like the water, they were a small part of something much bigger.  These findings echo previous research showing that accessible nature experiences support belonging, empathy, and inclusion (Corazon et al., 2019; James et al., 2018).