Nature as Co-Facilitator: Taking Coaching Outdoors

A couple of months ago a trip to the Scottish Highlands reminded me, once again, how stepping away from screens and into nature isn't just a luxury, but rather an essential ingredient for our wellbeing. Spending time surrounded by blue spaces (water) and green spaces (forests, parks) can quiet mental chatter, spark clearer thinking, and restore the calm we lose in our busy routines.

Today, I want to go further and explore something I've been learning more about, and implementing in my own practice: coaching in nature. Inspired by Lesley Roberts' book 'Coaching Outdoors', I have recently been exploring how bringing the natural world into coaching conversations can transform the entire experience for both coach and client. So here’s me sharing all the information you need to know if you are curious about what coaching outdoors can bring.

What is coaching outdoors?

In its broadest sense, coaching outdoors is about bringing nature into a coaching conversation. In its purest form, coach and client step outside together – whether that's stepping into the green spaces around the office, meeting at a pre-chosen location like a park or forest. Where circumstances do not allow, however, this can also take place as voice / phone sessions, where both parties agree to take themselves outdoors.

This simple shift in setting can bring about profound changes in the coaching dynamic.

Letting nature become a co-facilitator

The science behind nature's impact on our minds is compelling. As I shared a in a LinkedIn post from a couple of months ago, Stanford University research shows that a 90-minute nature walk reduces activity in the brain region associated with negative thought patterns – what researchers call 'rumination'. Studies in Environmental Science & Technology found that just 5 minutes outdoors significantly boosts mood and self-esteem. The Japanese practice of 'forest bathing' (shinrin-yoku) has been shown to lower cortisol levels, reduce blood pressure, and boost immune function. This same neurological shift that benefits our daily wellbeing becomes a powerful tool in coaching conversations.

When we step outside, nature acts as a co-facilitator. The natural environment provides opportunities for silence and reflection that feel organic rather than forced. Stepping away from the environments where all the doing happens can enable greater clarity of thinking.

Movement plays a crucial role too. Studies show that coaching whilst walking increases creativity. When our bodies are gently engaged, our minds become more open to new ideas. Problems that seemed intractable in a sterile office environment suddenly reveal new pathways for resolution.

If you have ever found yourself staring endlessly at a screen, wrestling with a complex problem or struggling to write something important, only to find the answer comes when you finally step outside for a breather, what I have just described will sound very familiar to you.

How coaching outdoors can benefit leaders, and their organisations

In the midst of intense and growing pressures which the leaders of today have to constantly grapple with, coaching in nature can help sustaining their health and wellbeing, both mental and physical. However, there are significant benefits for organisations too:

• Better decision-making emerges from improved cognitive function. When leaders experience the restorative effects of nature during their coaching sessions, they return to their roles with enhanced mental clarity and creative problem-solving abilities.

• Performance strengthens as stress levels decrease and focus improves. The cortisol-lowering effects of natural environments don't just last for the duration of the session – they create lasting improvements in how leaders handle pressure.

• Retention increases and absenteeism decreases when employees are healthy and happy. These benefits naturally trickle down from leaders to their teams, creating a positive ripple effect throughout the organisation.

Smart organisations are recognising that investing in coaching – particularly nature-based coaching – isn't just employee development. It is a strategic investment in their long-term competitive advantage, building resilient leaders who can navigate complexity with clarity and sustain high performance, for themselves and their team, without burning out.

Ready to get coaching outdoors?

Coaching in nature is something I now offer as part of my coaching services. The beauty of this approach is its flexibility – for those in London, we can work side by side in one of the city's many green spaces. For clients elsewhere, we can make it happen through outdoor voice sessions where you take yourself to your local park or natural area.

If you are curious about what it's like to experience coaching surrounded by nature rather than office walls, book yourself onto a free discovery call and let me know you're interested in going outside.

References

Cook, S & Nieuwerburgh, C (2020) The experience of coaching whilst walking: A pilot study. The Coaching Psychologist. 16. 46-57.

Roberts, L (2022) Coaching Outdoors: The essential guide to partnering with nature in your coaching conversations. London: Practical Inspiration Publishing.