Valentine’s Day provides a fun and festive opportunity to celebrate love and commitment and even to nurture romantic partnerships. While the benefits of this annual celebration can be fleeting, nature offers year-round opportunities for connection.
Research suggests that outdoor time with your partner can be the key to a strong, long-lasting connection. Many studies document how time spent in nature benefits individuals, offering lowered blood pressure and heart rate, stress reduction and even better mental health. The evidence also shows that being together in the outdoors can lead to stronger interpersonal relationships.
We know this because nature's relationship-healing powers begin deep in our nervous system as an antidote to our stress response. For example, being together in nature can help bridge a tough conversation, specifically when walking next to another person shoulder-to-shoulder. This is because walking side-by-side (as opposed to sitting or standing face-to-face) can be perceived as less threatening and is less likely to trigger the deep-seated flight or flight response.
The beauty of bonding together through nature-based activities is that it’s usually fun and that reconnection and learning happen because of the fun. Playing in nature can help you reconnect with a sense of wonder and creativity, and can also improve mood, concentration and social interactions. Think about it — you’re outside doing a favorite activity together bathed in endorphins and serotonins, sharing the joy of nature with a partner — it is understandable how that can be powerful!
Making a habit of reconnecting in nature is essential to reap its long-lasting effects. Cultivating intimacy, bonding in nature and experiencing the wonder and awe together requires a commitment to time and one another to foster a habit of reconnecting regularly. These routines provide long-term beneficial dividends that can open the door to a stronger connection, better communication and a lifetime of adventures.
Learn more about the benefits of connecting in nature from the Gottman Institute.
Dr. Jean Larson is the manager of Nature-Based Therapeutic Services at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum and is faculty lead of the Nature-Based Therapeutic Studies at the Earl Bakken Center for Spirituality and Healing of the University of Minnesota.