Summary: The viral phrase “touch grass” is more than internet humor—evidence shows that combining nature and music can meaningfully improve emotional and physical wellbeing. A recent scoping review found that activities that pair music with outdoor or nature-based experiences—such as listening to music outside, gardening while singing, or caring for animals with music—can elevate mood, lower stress, and ease symptoms of anxiety and depression.
Unlike some conventional treatments, music- and nature-based approaches emphasize multi-sensory engagement and personal choice, encouraging people to reconnect with their surroundings and to express themselves creatively. Researchers highlight that these low-cost, adaptable strategies could benefit people across the lifespan, including trauma survivors and older adults living with dementia.
Key Facts
- Dual benefits: Integrating music and nature supports mood improvement, stress reduction, and recovery from anxiety and depression.
- Multi-sensory healing: These interventions use sight, sound, touch, and smell to help anchor people in the present and promote emotional regulation.
- Accessible therapy: The approaches are flexible and scalable for diverse populations, including people with disabilities, veterans, and older adults.
Source: George Mason University
Although “touch grass” began as a playful nudge to step away from screens, mounting research supports the idea that reconnecting with real-world sensory experiences offers measurable benefits for mental and physical health. Michelle Hand, a licensed clinical social worker and holistic-therapy researcher, led a review that gathered evidence supporting the combined therapeutic use of music and nature.
Hand and her colleagues examined how combining music and nature in therapeutic settings differs from using either element alone. Their review highlighted that these combined interventions prioritize multi-sensory stimulation—integrating sounds, sights, smells, and tactile experiences—and center on participant choice and flexibility. That combination encourages self-expression and helps people stay rooted in the present, which can reduce stress and lift mood.
The team screened 884 scholarly articles across six databases and identified eight peer-reviewed studies that specifically examined interventions combining music and nature. Examples included activities such as outdoor music-making, group singing in gardens, nature walks with curated music, and animal-assisted programs with musical elements. Participants often reported improved mood, reduced stress, and greater emotional expression following these activities.
These combined interventions were found to be highly adaptable, allowing facilitators to tailor activities to different populations and settings. That adaptability makes them suitable for community programs, rehabilitation services, residential care, and clinical settings where non-pharmacological supports are desired. Hand emphasized that such approaches are especially promising because they are low-cost and inclusive, meeting people where they are and offering multiple pathways to wellbeing.
Key Questions Answered:
A: Together they create a rich, multi-sensory environment that can improve mood, reduce stress, and encourage emotional expression and social connection.
A: These strategies are flexible, low-cost, and easy to adapt for people of different ages, abilities, and cultural backgrounds, from children to older adults with dementia.
A: Yes. Research shows that reconnecting with natural environments and rich sensory experiences—especially when paired with music—has measurable benefits for mental and physical health.
About this mental health research news
Author: Mary Cunningham
Source: George Mason University
Contact: Mary Cunningham – George Mason University
Image: The image is credited to Neuroscience News
Original Research: Open access. “Integrating music and nature: a scoping review of research on interventions involving both music- and nature-based strategies for mental health and wellbeing” by Michelle Hand et al., published in Frontiers in Human Neuroscience.
Abstract
Integrating music and nature: a scoping review of research on interventions involving both music- and nature-based strategies for mental health and wellbeing
Introduction: Both music-related and nature-based therapeutic activities have documented benefits for wellbeing, including improvements in physical, social, emotional, and mental health, and support for recovery from post-traumatic stress. While many studies address music or nature separately, there has been limited synthesis of research examining their combined, holistic use.
This scoping review mapped primary research that directly studied interventions combining music and nature-based strategies, with a focus on outcomes related to overall wellbeing and mental or behavioral health.
Methods: The review included peer-reviewed, English-language studies reporting primary research on interventions that combined music and nature. Studies were excluded if they addressed only one modality, did not present primary data, or lacked a clear discussion of wellbeing or mental-health outcomes. From 884 initially identified articles, 23 were reviewed in detail and eight met the full inclusion criteria for thematic analysis.
Results: Four themes emerged: (a) combined music-and-nature activities support various aspects of wellbeing, (b) activities can be combined and adapted across settings and populations, (c) further rigorous research is needed on combined interventions, and (d) honoring participant choice and expression enhances therapeutic impact. Much of the evidence focused on music activities in outdoor or natural settings and their positive effects on emotional wellbeing and mood.
Discussion: The findings indicate that integrating music with nature-based therapeutic approaches can enhance mental and behavioral health by improving multiple dimensions of wellbeing. Examples include music-making in natural settings, which may deepen connection to nature and support spiritual wellbeing. The review calls for more research to clarify best practices, mechanisms of change, and how to scale these adaptable, person-centered interventions effectively.