A green leafy plant - one of the eight ways to bring nature into your home for calm and comfort

8 Ways to Bring Nature into Your Home for Calm and Comfort

August 26, 2025

In our busy, screen-filled lives, it's easy to feel disconnected from nature. But research shows that even small touches can improve our physical and mental health. In this post I'll review simple ways to bring nature into the home to create calming, restorative spaces.

Reconnecting with Nature—Indoors

As much time as we spend indoors and on our screens, it's important to remember: we evolved from nature, and we feel better when we're close to it.

A well-known adage among architects and interior designers is: “Bring the outdoors in.” Whether it's a new houseplant, botanical wallpaper, or a window that frames a view of trees, we often look for ways to bring natural elements into our interiors.

It may not always be obvious, but these design choices are rooted in our biology. Psychotherapist Patricia Hasbach explains the theory of biophilia:

“As a species, we are part of the natural world, and we have an inherent need to connect with nature—whether we realize it or not.”

Physical Health Benefits - Creating Calm

According to the authors of Your Brain on Art: How the Arts Transform Us, when we come into contact with plants, water, and other natural elements, it benefits our physical health in the following ways:

Reduces adrenaline
Improves blood pressure
Lowers heart rate

In a 2020 study with Harvard researchers by the journal Environment International, participants took on two stressful tasks involving memory and math in different virtual environments. In the environment with plants and natural materials or outdoor views, participants showed consistently better stress recovery, both physically and psychologically. Even in virtual environments, exposure to nature calmed the senses and improved health.

Mental Health Benefits - Giving the Brain Space to Recharge

One theory that supports nature's mental health benefits is Attention Restoration Theory, which suggests that exposure to nature helps relieve mental fatigue. The main idea is that the kind of directed attention we need to focus and make decisions dwindles over time, and nature gently engages the mind without much effort, allowing the cognitive systems to rest. Even small moments of connection to the outside world, like looking out the window or listening to chirping birds, can help restore our focus and calm. It's worth considering how to bring some natural elements into your home to reduce stress and enhance your well-being.

Simple Ways to Bring Nature into Your Home

Use colors from nature
Choose colors that mimic or complement the outdoors—especially calming blues and greens.
Enjoy natural light
Open your blinds to let in sunlight or position your workspace near a window to enjoy natural views.
Bring in leafy plants
Research shows that indoor plants reduce stress. I noticed this firsthand when I added a plant to my studio desk—it gave me an unexpected lift!
Feature fractals
Fractals are complex patterns that repeat in different sizes—such as the fronds of a fern or branching trees. Our brains respond positively to these patterns, which are abundant in nature.
Tap into nature's scents
Use essential oils or environmentally friendly candles with fresh fragrances like pine or lavender. These scents are known to support well-being and rest.
Play nature's sounds
Open a window and listen to the birds chirping or the wind in the trees. Or put on a playlist of nature's sounds.
Pay attention to textures
Incorporate woven baskets, textured throw blankets and materials like wood and stone. Research has found that touching natural surfaces like wood calms the brain more than synthetic ones.
Display Nature Inspired Art
Choose pieces that feature plants, flowers, sea views, or colors that echo the outdoors. Art can be a powerful link between your interior space and the natural world.

Final thoughts
You don't need to make dramatic lifestyle changes or build a cabin in the woods to connect with nature. You can bring it into your home with a fresh scent, some woven baskets and throw blankets, or a new painting that reminds you of the ocean. We are not separate from the natural world, but part of it. Including nature inspired elements in our homes reminds us of that connection and fosters a sense of much needed calm and comfort in our daily lives.

What element would you like to add to your home today?

Author: Katie Weaver

References:

Article: Bringing Nature Inside Can Improve Your Health. The Seattle Times, At home in the Northwest, June 18, 2023

Your Brain on Art: How the Arts Transform Us. Susan Magsamen and Ivy Ross, 2023.

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