Why “Touching Grass” Just Might Be Onto Something, According to Science
Yes, touching grass might actually help…
“Go touch grass.”
It’s usually said as a joke, an insult, or a way of telling someone they’ve been online too long.
But underneath it, there’s something real. A lot of us are spending more time in digital spaces than physical ones. This means more time thinking rather than sensing, more time consuming than actually being in our lives.
It might just be time to start showing up for our mental health.
We’re Not Just Tired—We’re Overstimulated and Under-Grounded
When people talk about feeling anxious, overwhelmed, or disconnected, it’s often framed as an internal issue, or something to fix within yourself.
But, if we zoom out for a second, we’ll see that most of us are:
moving between screens all day
constantly taking in information (news, social media, messages, emails)
sitting for long periods of time
disconnected from natural light, fresh air, and physical environments
That’s not neutral! Your nervous system is processing all of it.
So What Does “Touching Grass” Actually Do?
It sounds simplistic, but spending time in nature has been consistently linked to:
reduced stress and cortisol levels
improved mood
better attention and focus
increased feelings of calm and regulation
There’s research on the positive effects of spending time outdoors and taking breaks from media. In other words—this isn’t just a “vibe.” There’s a real physiological shift that can happen when you step outside.
Shifting States
A lot of our daily environments keep us in a kind of low-level activation that includes patterns like thinking ahead, responding quickly, or always being mentally “on.” Being outside, even briefly, can help to interrupt those patterns. When you take a break from screens and engage with the outside world, you’re engaging different senses like feeling the ground under you, noticing temperature, light, sound, and being in a space that doesn’t require constant output.
That shift matters, and can translate to your stress levels. Interestingly, the things that are incredibly easy to do in nature are the same grounding skills that many therapists recommend for managing intense emotional distress, activation, and anxiety.
This Isn’t About Romanticizing Wellness
Let’s be real—not everyone has easy access to green space, and not everyone has time in their day to go for long walks or spend hours outside. Additionally, for some folks, being outside doesn’t automatically feel calming or safe, depending on context and lived experience. So, this isn’t about turning “go outside” into another thing you’re failing at or not doing well enough. It’s about noticing that even small changes in environment can support your nervous system in ways that constant stimulation can’t.
What This Can Look Like in Real Life
This doesn’t have to be a full lifestyle overhaul; it can be:
stepping outside for 5–10 minutes between tasks
sitting somewhere with natural light (e.g., a window) instead of staying inside all day
taking a short walk without headphones
noticing your surroundings instead of immediately defaulting to your phone
The point isn’t perfection, but rather, interrupting the patterns that we’re engaging in without even noticing or thinking about them.
Why This Matters for Anxiety, Overthinking, and Burnout
When your mind feels loud, the instinct is often to think your way out of it. But not everything shifts through thinking. Some things shift through:
sensory input
environmental change
giving your brain a different kind of experience
That’s part of why something as simple as being outside can feel surprisingly impactful. That being said, you’re also allowed to need more than just coping skills. In traditional talk therapy, there can be a lot of focus on internal tools like reframing thoughts, managing emotions, and building routines. All of that matters, but your environment matters too.
And sometimes, the most effective shifts are the ones that don’t require you to try harder—just to step into something different.
So… Yes. Touching Grass Might Actually Help
Not as a cure-all or a replacement for deeper work. But as a small, accessible way to ground your body, interrupt mental overload, and reconnect with something outside the constant noise.
If you’re still feeling stuck after considering all this, that makes sense too. Being outside can help regulate your system, but if anxiety, burnout, or overwhelm are persistent, it’s worth having space to work through that more intentionally.
You don’t have to figure it out alone. We support college students, graduate students, professionals and adults in Boston and Massachusetts with individualized, identity-affirming therapy. Start here today to get connected.