Nature And The Environment
It's Mental Health Awareness Week and this year’s theme is nature and the environment.
It has been well documented that getting out and about in nature can provide a big boost to your mental well-being. I can also vouch for this. I have spent countless hours seeking calm and beautiful places in the countryside. Any little oasis that allows me to soak in life without any unwanted distractions.
Some of my happiest memories of the last 14 months have been those mornings when I have gotten up before dawn and headed to some of the larger local parks (or further afield when allowed) to witness sunrise. At these times I would barely see another soul, and the only sound would be the dawn chorus. Seeing the natural world come to life is so uplifting.
When we expose ourselves to nature, we are stepping into a slower pace, and we can feel our bodies react to this. As our bodies relax, our minds quickly follow, feeding off the chemicals released by the change. At the end of the day humans are animals, and like all animals we are born out of nature. Getting back to it is instinctive.
At times when I struggle to sleep I will put on a playlist of birdsong, rainfall, or running water to help me feel the tones of nature, and it encourages me to relax, aiding me with my sleep.
Our daily environment is so chaotic, with so many different things vying for attention, and we feel we must notice it all. It’s hard but learning to step back and judge what is worthy of our attention is important. It’s a cliché, but inner peace can be achieved with outer calm.
Thank you for taking the time to read this. Stay well everyone, keep looking out for each other and I wish you good mental health. 😊
Nature And The Environment
It's Mental Health Awareness Week and this year’s theme is nature and the environment.
It has been well documented that getting out and about in nature can provide a big boost to your mental well-being. I can also vouch for this. I have spent countless hours seeking calm and beautiful places in the countryside. Any little oasis that allows me to soak in life without any unwanted distractions.
Some of my happiest memories of the last 14 months have been those mornings when I have gotten up before dawn and headed to some of the larger local parks (or further afield when allowed) to witness sunrise. At these times I would barely see another soul, and the only sound would be the dawn chorus. Seeing the natural world come to life is so uplifting.
When we expose ourselves to nature, we are stepping into a slower pace, and we can feel our bodies react to this. As our bodies relax, our minds quickly follow, feeding off the chemicals released by the change. At the end of the day humans are animals, and like all animals we are born out of nature. Getting back to it is instinctive.
At times when I struggle to sleep I will put on a playlist of birdsong, rainfall, or running water to help me feel the tones of nature, and it encourages me to relax, aiding me with my sleep.
Our daily environment is so chaotic, with so many different things vying for attention, and we feel we must notice it all. It’s hard but learning to step back and judge what is worthy of our attention is important. It’s a cliché, but inner peace can be achieved with outer calm.
Thank you for taking the time to read this. Stay well everyone, keep looking out for each other and I wish you good mental health. 😊