By Lauren Bathgate, LCSW-C, PMH-C

I’m a perinatal therapist and the founder of Guided in Nature, a therapy practice supporting expecting parents and mothers navigating anxiety, overwhelm, and the emotional transitions of early parenthood. My work integrates mindfulness and nature-informed therapy practices to help parents reconnect with steadiness and resilience during uncertain times. Many of the parents I work with are thoughtful, caring people who find themselves carrying worries about the future of the world while also wanting to stay grounded for their children.

This article shares a few of the same grounding practices I often introduce in therapy sessions to help parents calm their nervous systems and find steadiness again.

When the Future Feels Uncertain

If you’re pregnant or raising young children right now, you may find yourself holding a quiet question in the background of your mind:

What kind of world are my children growing up in?

Many parents are feeling this lately.

The news cycle is relentless.
Social media amplifies fear.
Global events can feel unpredictable and overwhelming.

And when you’re expecting a baby—or caring for young children—that uncertainty can land in your body differently.

You might notice:

a tight feeling in your chest when reading the news
difficulty shutting off your thoughts at night
a sense of protectiveness that feels almost primal
moments of grief about the world you hoped your children would inherit

If this resonates with you, you’re far from alone.

If You’re Reading This, You Might Be Carrying a Lot

If you found your way to this article, you might be experiencing things like:

anxiety about the future of the world since becoming a parent
pregnancy anxiety about bringing a child into uncertain times
feeling emotionally overwhelmed by news or global events
wanting to stay grounded for your children but not always knowing how

These experiences are very common in perinatal mental health, especially during pregnancy and the early parenting years.

And the good news is that there are ways to support your nervous system so you don’t have to carry this constant tension alone.

Why Nature Helps Us Regulate During Uncertain Times

Your nervous system was never designed to process a constant stream of global information.

But it was designed to respond to the natural world.

When we step outside—even briefly—our bodies often begin to shift:

heart rate slows
breathing deepens
stress hormones begin to decrease
attention widens instead of narrowing around fear

Nature reminds us of something our nervous systems need to remember:

Life moves in rhythms larger than the current moment.

Trees keep growing.
Seasons continue to turn.
Birds keep building nests.

In my therapy work supporting perinatal mental health—including pregnancy anxiety, postpartum anxiety, and the emotional transitions of early parenthood—nature often becomes a powerful partner in helping the nervous system settle and find steadiness again.

Simple Nature-Based Grounding Practices

You don’t need hours outside or perfect weather to benefit from nature.

Even a few intentional minutes can help your body shift out of anxiety and back into the present moment.

Here are a few practices you might try.

1. Look for Life

When anxiety rises, step outside or look out a window and notice three signs of life.

You might see:

a bird flying overhead
a small plant pushing through the soil
clouds moving across the sky
wind moving through tree branches

This practice gently shifts the brain from threat scanning to life noticing.

Over time, it can retrain your attention toward resilience and continuity.

2. Feel Your Feet on the Earth

If possible, step outside and stand still for a moment.

Take a slow breath in through your nose.
Then allow it to fall out of your mouth.

Notice:

the ground supporting your feet
the temperature of the air
the sounds around you

You might imagine your feet growing quiet roots into the earth.

You don’t need to solve the future in this moment.

Just stand here and breathe.

3. Borrow Calm From the Natural World

Nature often models the states we want to cultivate.

You might visualize:

a willow tree bending but not breaking in strong wind
a river moving steadily around obstacles
a mountain remaining grounded through changing weather

Allow your breath to slow as you picture the image.

Your nervous system can borrow stability from the natural world.

These are the same types of grounding tools I often guide parents through in perinatal therapy sessions, where we explore ways to calm anxiety and reconnect with steadiness during pregnancy, postpartum, and early parenthood.

Parenting in Uncertain Times

One of the quiet truths of parenting is this:

Children do not need a perfectly certain world.

They need regulated, supported adults.

Children benefit most from caregivers who can pause, breathe, and reconnect when emotions run high.

When you practice grounding—even briefly—you’re modeling something powerful for your children:

How to return to calm.
How to stay present.
How to move forward even when life feels uncertain.

That kind of emotional resilience is something children carry with them for life.

When the Weight of Uncertainty Feels Heavy

Even with grounding practices, there may be moments when the weight of uncertainty feels like too much to carry alone.

Many parents and expecting parents benefit from having a space where they can:

talk openly about fears about the future
process pregnancy anxiety or postpartum anxiety
learn practical nervous system regulation tools
reconnect with themselves outside the constant demands of caregiving

Therapy can offer that space.

In my practice, I work with expecting parents and mothers navigating perinatal anxiety, life transitions, and the emotional complexity of raising young children in a fast-changing world.

Our work often includes mindfulness, nature-informed practices, and practical tools that help you feel more grounded in daily life.

You Don’t Have to Navigate This Alone

Parents spend so much time caring for others that their own emotional needs often get pushed to the background.

But your well-being matters deeply—not only for you, but for your children as well.

If you’re feeling the weight of uncertainty lately, therapy can offer steady ground and compassionate support.

You can learn more about working with me here:

Get support now

If you’re curious whether it might be a good fit, you’re also welcome to schedule a free 20-minute consultation where we can talk about what you’re navigating and explore whether therapy feels supportive for this season of life.

Sometimes the first step toward steadiness is simply having a place where you don’t have to hold everything alone.

About the Author

Lauren Bathgate, LCSW-C, PMH-C is a perinatal therapist and founder of Guided in Nature, a therapy practice supporting expecting parents and mothers in Maryland. She specializes in perinatal anxiety, motherhood and parenthood transitions, and nature-informed therapy practices that help parents feel more grounded and supported. Lauren offers therapy for pregnancy, postpartum, and parenting, as well as free 20-minute consultations for those exploring support.