Episode160: The Quiet Support of Nature in Grief
4/22/26
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You are listening to the Life Reconstructed podcast with me, Teresa Amaral Beshwate, grief
expert, best-selling author and widow. I’m so glad you’re here because in this and every
episode, I shine a light on the widowed way forward.
Hello and welcome to episode 160. On this Earth Day episode, I’m sharing a simple and supportive
tool for navigating grief—nature. After my husband died, I found myself drawn outside, where
even small moments like birdsong and sunlight offered a bit of relief. In this episode, you’ll
learn why time in nature supports your grieving body and how to use it in a way that’s gentle,
doable, and requires nothing from you.
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"Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under trees on a summer's day,
listening to the murmur of the water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no
means a waste of time." –Sir John Lubbock
Hello and welcome back to the podcast.
Today’s episode is being released on Earth Day, and I want to talk about something simple…
something accessible… something that might support you more than you realize.
Nature.
After my husband died, I found myself drawn outside almost instinctively.
I didn’t have a plan. I wasn’t following a strategy.
But I noticed that some of the only moments that felt even slightly soothing were when I was
outside.
The sound of birds.
The sun on my face.
Staring at the green leaves on the trees we had planted together.
The quiet, the solitude.
It didn’t take the grief away.
But it softened the edges, even if just a little.
With the loss of a spouse, the nervous system is overwhelmed.
Everything feels loud.
Heavy.
Relentless.
And what I’ve seen, both in my own experience and in the widowed people I work with, is that
we’re often looking for something to make it all stop.
But what if the goal isn’t to make it stop?
What if the goal is to find moments of support?
Nature can be one of those supports.
Not because it fixes grief.
But because it helps to regulate your body while you’re carrying it.
There’s actually research to support this.
In the book The Nature Fix: Why Nature Makes Us Happier, Healthier, and More Creative by
Florence Williams, she shares that leisurely forest walks—compared to urban walks—lead to a 12%
decrease in cortisol levels.
That’s the stress hormone that naturally increases in grief.
Researchers also found decreases in blood pressure and heart rate.
And people reported better moods and lower anxiety.
But here’s the part that really stands out to me—
Time in nature was shown to increase helpful white blood cells by 40%.
Forty percent.
And that boost lasted for up to seven days.
So even though stepping outside might feel small…
It’s not small.
It’s biological support for your grieving body.
And I want to make this as doable as possible.
Because if you’re anything like the high-achieving people I work with, your brain might already
be trying to turn this into a project.
A checklist.
A routine.
A “do it right” situation.
But this is not that.
This is an invitation.
You don’t need a hike.
You don’t need a plan.
You don’t need to live near a forest.
You can step outside for five minutes.
Stand in the sun.
Listen.
Notice.
Feel the air on your skin.
Let yourself be there… without trying to change how you feel.
Nature doesn’t ask you to be different than you are.
It doesn’t rush you.
It doesn’t expect you to be “further along.”
It doesn’t offer platitudes.
It just wraps you up in its peace.
So as the season shifts…
As the days get a little longer…
As the world around you starts to come alive again—
I want to invite you to step outside.
Let the birds sing, even if you don’t feel like listening.
Let the sun touch your face, even if your heart feels heavy.
Let nature support you… in a way that requires nothing from you in return.
Not to heal you.
Not to fix you.
But to walk alongside you.
Because you don’t have to carry this alone.
And if this resonates with you, I’d love for you to take this one step further.
Go outside today.
Even for a minute.
And just notice what shifts.
If this episode was helpful, please share it with a widowed friend. And remember that I believe
in you, and I’m here for you. Take care.
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If you’ve found this podcast helpful, check out my newest book, Time Doesn’t Heal, Why High
Achieving Widowed People Feel Stuck, and How to Rebuild a Meaningful Life. It’s now available
in paperback and Kindle, plus there’s an accompanying journal to help you apply what you learn.
And, join the free course so I can help you even more. Links are in the show notes.
