In ancient times, man lived in direct contact with nature. He observed the seasons, followed the rhythms of the earth, tended the harvest, prepared for winter, and rejoiced in spring. This natural cyclicality was not only livelihood-enhancing; it was also psychologically cathartic.
Daily engagement with the earth and its transformations taught a silent but profound philosophy of life: that nothing is permanent, that every difficulty (like winter) passes, and in its place comes something new (like spring). This constant reminder of changeability and hope functioned as a natural antidote to the despair and introversion that we today call depression.
In modern life, cut off from the soil, the sun, the rains, and the cycles of the earth, people live in an artificial present without a natural rhythm. Screens always show the same light, clocks never stop, and seasons become “background” instead of experience. This disconnection is not neutral – it mentally empties the person, taking away the sense of meaning, flow, and hope.
Depressive thinking says, “This is how it will be forever”.
Nature answers: “Nothing stays the same. Winter passes. Spring will come.”
Returning to contact with nature – even if it is a simple walk in the forest, a plant on the balcony or feeling the cold and the sun on our face – can act as true psychotherapy. Not with words, but with experience.
Because when you deal with the earth, you are reminded that you too belong to something alive, circular and full of hope.