10 – 16 May 2021 is Mental Health Awareness Week in the UK and this year’s theme is #ThrivingWithNature.
Spending time outdoors and exploring green spaces is proven to positively influence our mental health and general wellbeing. Whether you enjoy exercising outside, relaxing in the garden, or going for a walk with the dog or friends, just the act of being outside, surrounded by nature can help lift your mood and reduce stress levels.
As the daylight hours increase, and the weather (hopefully) improves there is more opportunity to get outside and enjoy your surroundings.
The Mental Health Foundation @Mentalhealth suggests these top tips for connecting with nature:
Find nature wherever you are
Nature is all around us. It might be a garden, a local park, a nearby beach or open countryside. Even in cities where nature can be harder to find, there’s things community gardens or courtyards to discover and explore.
Connect with nature using all of your senses
Whether you’re relaxing in the garden or on your way to work, try listening out for birdsong, look for bees and butterflies, or notice the movement of the clouds. All of these good things in nature can help you to find a sense of calm and joy.
Get out into nature
If you can, try to spend time visiting natural places – green spaces like parks, gardens or forests – or blue spaces like the beach, rivers and wetlands. This can help you reduce your risk of mental health problems, lift your mood and help you feel better about things.
Bring nature to you
Sometimes it’s hard to access natural places because of where you live, how busy you are, how safe you feel or your health. Why not try bringing nature into your home? Having plants in the house is a great way to have something natural to see, touch and smell – pots of herbs from the supermarket are a good start. If you have a garden, allotment or balcony, think about how you can make the most of it. Grow flowers, plants or vegetables, get a bird feeder and take in the sights and sounds around you.
Exercise in nature
If you’re physically able to exercise, try to do it outside – whether it’s a run, cycle or a short walk. Walking or running outdoors in nature may help to prevent or reduce feelings of anger, tiredness and sadness.
Combine nature with creativity
Try combining creativity with your natural environment. You could also increase your sense of connection by taking photos, writing, drawing or painting pictures of the landscape, plants or animals.
Protect nature
Taking care of something can be a really great way to feel good. This can be as simple as recycling, to walking instead of driving, or even joining community conservation or clean-up groups.
The team at apple hr support is embracing nature and the outdoors this May by taking part in the #Tour de Walkshire and walking 100 miles.
By raising money for Yorkshire Cancer Research, we are combining ways of improving our own mental and physical health with contributing to the wellbeing of cancer sufferers in our region. Doing things for others is another way to feel more positive all round. If you would like to make a donation, please visit the Yorkshire Cancer Research website.