Coping Mechanism Thesaurus: Spending Time in Nature

When a character suffers emotional pain, the brain’s response is to stop the discomfort, and often this results in a coping mechanism being deployed. Whether it’s an automatic response or a learned go-to strategy, a mechanism helps them cope with the stress of the moment or escape the hurt of it.

But if the character develops an unhealthy reliance on that mechanism, problems will arise. Long-term, certain coping behaviors will impair their connections with others, their ability to achieve goals and dreams, and their ability to handle life’s pressures.

At some point, they must have an Aha! moment where they realize their coping method is holding them back and seek other ways to deal with stress. Namely, they’ll have to adopt healthier mechanisms that enable them to manage difficulties and ultimately have a happier future.

To help you write your character’s growth (or regression) journey, we’ve created The Coping Mechanism Thesaurus, which contains a range of coping mechanisms. The one we’re highlighting today can help your character better manage painful emotions and stress. Use this partial entry to show readers the character is choosing more productive strategies that will build resilience.

Spending Time in Nature

Definition

Getting outside; exposure to the natural elements (light, fresh air, flora, fauna, water, etc.).

What It May Look Like

Going for a walk or jog
Taking a journal outside
Working in the garden beds, hands in the earth
Sunbathing
Storm watching
Focusing on sensations: breeze against the skin, heat of the sun, the texture of a flower petal
Enjoying a night swim

Internal Struggles

Needing the reset nature provides, but feeling guilty for setting aside responsibility or duty to do it
Not wanting to return to a stressful environment, but knowing they must
Feeling guilty for enjoying downtime in nature when it means others must pick up the slack
Experiencing an epiphany that they’ve wasted an opportunity, a relationship, or their life in some way

Challenges That Will Test the Character

Wanting to spend time in nature but not having access to it
Returning to a must-anticipated natural location only to discover it’s changed in some way
Having a limitation that prevents the character from enjoying their location fully (being unable to hike due to an injury, being tethered to a cell phone awaiting an important call, etc.)

Basic Human Needs It Could Fill

Physiological Needs: The natural world is the source of many things needed for survival. As the character explores, they could discover a source of water, food, shelter, or something else they desperately need.
Safety and Security: Long-term health means taking care of physical and mental wellness. The restorative nature of the outdoors and the opportunity to exercise can be exactly what your character needs.

To help you brainstorm your character’s responses to stress, visit our master list of healthy and unhealthy coping mechanisms.

Need More Descriptive Help?

While this thesaurus is still being developed and expanded, the rest of our descriptive collection (18 unique thesauri and growing) is accessible through the One Stop for Writers THESAURUS database.

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