The Felt-Sense as a pathway to Nature relatedness: An exploratory mixed-method study with university students
Leanne Haywood, James Stiller, and Valentina Canessa-Pollard
Citation: Haywood, L., Stiller, J., & Canessa-Pollard, V. (2026). The Felt-Sense as a pathway to Nature relatedness: An exploratory mixed-method study with university students. Journal of Ecopsychology, 6, 2, 1-17. https://joe.nationalwellbeingservice.com/volumes/volume-6-2026/volume-6-article-2/
Processing dates: Submitted: 7th March 2025; Re-submitted: 28th April 2025; Accepted: 10th June 2025; Published: 14th January 2026
Generative AI statement: The author(s) confirm that no Generative AI was used in the creation and development of this manuscript. All citations and references have been thoroughly checked by the authors.
Abstract
Background: A connection to nature is known to enhance wellbeing and promote psychological restoration. Pathways to nature connectedness, such as sensory engagement,
emotional bonding, appreciating beauty, meaningful contact, and compassion for nature –
have been widely studied, the embodied ways through which we experience nature remain
underexplored. The “felt-sense” – an embodied awareness of internal sensations – has emerged as a potential but underexplored pathway to nature connectedness. This exploratory mixed-methods study investigates this gap within the current literature by exploring whether a short felt-sense intervention in natural settings can foster wellbeing and strengthen nature connectedness among university students.
Methods: The study employed a concurrent embedded mixed-methods design. Participants
(Mean age = 26.3, SD = 12.2) included 16 females, 5 males, and 2 non-binary individuals.
Quantitative measures were collected pre- and post-intervention using validated scales for
nature relatedness, wellbeing, and motivation for future nature engagement. Qualitative data
was gathered through reflective expressions, including written accounts, poetry, and art,
following a seven-day felt-sense intervention conducted in outdoor natural settings.
Findings: Qualitative thematic analysis identified five key themes: enhanced wellbeing,
deeper connection with nature, self and relational insights, behavioural transformation, and
characteristics of the intervention. Participants reported relaxation, emotional processing,
and a heightened sense of belonging to the natural world. Quantitative results revealed
significant improvements in the Nature Relatedness-Self (NR-Self ) subscale, indicating a
strengthened personal connection to nature. Other measures showed positive trends, though not statistically significant.
Conclusions: The felt-sense appears to be a promising pathway for fostering nature
relatedness and enhancing wellbeing. Future research should examine its long-term
impacts, potential applications in mental health rehabilitation, and its role in promoting
sustainable behaviours. Integrating the felt-sense into nature-based interventions could
provide an accessible, cost-effective strategy for improving mental health and environmental engagement. With its flexibility, the felt-sense pathway could also be utilised as a day-to-day coping strategy to foster stronger wellbeing through engagement with nature.
Keywords: wellbeing, nature relatedness, felt-sense, mental health
Biographies
Leanne Haywood is with the Department of Psychology and Criminology, University of Chichester, West Sussex, UK.
Email: lhaywoo3@stu.chi.ac.uk
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4090-3258
James Stiller is with the Department of Psychology and Criminology, University of Chichester, West Sussex, UK.
Email: j.stiller@chi.ac.uk https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6122-5911
Valentina Canessa-Pollard is with the Department of Psychology and Criminology, University of Chichester, West Sussex, UK.
Email: v.canessapollard@chi.ac.uk https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3646-7871