from Beijing to Twente
"The Netherlands has so much greenery and tranquillity, ideal for exercises like these," says Ruan. “I did my master's in Beijing, a city of 22 million people. Although there are parks, finding peaceful places with solitude is difficult due to the constant crowds. I worry that fast urbanisation limits opportunities for meaningful contact with nature, which may affect people’s mental wellbeing. That realisation inspired me to pursue psychology research. I chose the Netherlands because of its high education standards and UT’s strong research profile. I was specifically looking for a project that involved intervention studies, and Twente offered that opportunity.”
What is spiritual wellbeing?
The research explores spiritual wellbeing, a relatively new psychological concept. While it used to be tied to religion, it now broadly refers to your relationship with yourself, others, nature, and the idea of transcendence, something beyond the everyday.
Questions such as ‘What gives your life meaning?’, ‘How connected do you feel to the world?’, or ‘How do you find inner peace?’ are central here. The relationship with yourself involves clarity about your values and life purpose. Your relationship with others reflects the quality of your emotional support network. And nature plays a vital role, we are deeply rooted in it.
Why nature works
Spending time in nature reduces stress, brings calm, and helps restore focus. In this pilot study, researchers developed an outdoor intervention involving mindfulness-based practices under the open sky.
One exercise invites participants to zoom in on a single natural element, like a leaf or flower. Observing it in detail, calmly describing it, and focusing attention on it for a few minutes helps to bring inner peace and emotional grounding.
Participants in the study report a sense of connection with nature and find the exercises both pleasant and meaningful.
Application in grief and emotional support
The intervention may be especially relevant for people coping with grief or emotional hardship, where symptoms are not always visible but breathing and environment can play a major role in processing emotions. These accessible, nature-based exercises support emotional recovery in subtle yet effective ways.
