welcoming path through greenery and woodland

It’s a fact - Nature is good for us! Evidence from the research is clear: spending over 2 hours in nature over a week is associated with consistently higher wellbeing, and importantly this effect cuts across different socio-economic and ethnic groups. Even psychotherapy is now being offered outdoors, combining the therapeutic relationship with a therapeutic environment.

It’s not surprising then that ‘Nature’ is the focus for Mental Awareness Week and we are encouraged to embrace its impact on us by:

Experiencing nature and taking time to recognise how nature enters your life in a helpful way and to grow your connection to the outdoor flora, fauna, weather, fresh air and green space.

Sharing your experiences by taking photos, videos and sound recordings and upload to your social media #connectwithnature #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek.

outdoor activities graphic showing how to combine nature with exercise or mental stimulation

Talking about nature with others and finding out how you can encourage others to connect more with nature and share the benefits it offers.

How does Nature help?

Nature, right under our noses, is the great untapped resource for a mentally healthy future, but the benefits lie more specifically in how we open ourselves up and interact with it. Apart from the obvious natural benefits of being outside (like getting more oxygen in the fresh air, Vitamin D from the sun, and more physical activity), there are two key ways in which nature boosts wellbeing that we need to be aware of, so we can engage in them fully.

We can be Active in nature and we can be Mindful; both of these need us to be present and engaged, and are the growth ingredients of Nature.

Being Present and Engaged with Nature

…..Using Activity

Being present and engaged is a mind state that often happens naturally when we are engaged in outdoor activities that we intrinsically enjoy, when we choose things that we get a feel good factor from. This could be gardening, photography, cycling, hiking, canoeing etc. - whatever is meaningful to you.

Through this activity, we can reach a state of ‘flow’ that can be likened to ‘getting in the zone’. Here, we leave our troubles behind and are completely in the moment. We become so focused on what we are doing that we lose our sense of time. We can also lose track of thought, only to magically and suddenly come up with a solution to a recent problem that we have been stuck on. And you needn’t be active to get his effect either; nature itself has a tendency to inspire creative thought. Einstein famously came up with his greatest ideas when out in nature, seeing problems literally in a new light.

…..Using Mindfulness. When we immerse ourselves in nature for nature’s sake, the sense of being present and engaged has an equally powerful effect. When we walk or sit in nature, our attention is easily, yet gently, drawn to the sights, sounds, smells and textures of a very different world to the one of bustling towns and cities that jolt our attention around, taking much brain power. This is reflected in the theory of Attentional Restoration and is possibly the reason why walking in nature has been shown consistently to boost cognition (attention, memory, thinking and perception).

In nature, our attention is more focused on soothing images and sounds, we relax as we walk or sit, our breath is in balance and we find our thinking is calmer and more reflective. Over the long-term this can even add to feelings of happiness and greater wellbeing.

Nature is full of novelty, and novelty engages us. Complex ecosystems full of biodiversity are an endless source of interest and wonder. Mindfulness in nature is choosing to attend to these amazing sounds and sights, of birds, insects, trees and flowers, water, the sun and drinking these in through your senses. Even the wind and the rain are essential sources of present moment opportunities; the pressure of the wind and the feeling of the rain on your face are very grounding.

Of course your mind will naturally wander off doing what minds do, trying to work out problems or ruminating on feelings. But, when you recognise you’re way off in the past or future, involved with regrets or worries you have no control over, nature can more easily draw you back to focusing on what’s around you in the present.

Nature gives us perspective

Oak trees that have been there for hundreds of years, coastlines waters fished by boats over the centuries, stars in the sky, all remind us of bigger things. The cyclical nature of life is all around outside, and the new sprouts of life as well as autumn leaves that fall and feed the earth again, remind us of life’s miracles and richness.

Attentional Restoration Theory graphic of activities to lower stress levels

Unplug from technology, plug-in to nature

Unplug from technology and put it out of sight. In order to connect fully with nature, we must leave technology alone. How many people do we see walking and watching their transportable devices? It’s become an epidemic of mindless walking and we need to plug nature back in. Aim to become more mindful as you engage in nature, using the following advice.

Try these tips to fully use your senses in nature:

Take time to touch. Make sure you stop and feel the nature that is around you: The foliage, wood, rocks, water, sand. Notice the texture and temperature and what they remind you of.

Slow your sight down and drink in the colour and the shapes.

It is easy to run our eyes quickly over things as we are so used to images on media that we skim through daily. Pause on objects that catch your eye and notice as much as you can.

Hone in on your hearing. Focus on your hearing and listen to sounds close to you. Gradually shift your awareness out in ever increasing circles to see how far you can hear and what that might be?

Seek out the smells. Smell is our most basic and intense sense, the olfactory nerve, being the only one in the body that has a ‘hot line’ straight to the brain without going through any nerve synapses. It is responsible for sensing danger, poison and delight, and triggers memory the most easily out of all our senses. Move your nose close to the flowers and greenery to smell the subtleties – what do some of these natural things smell like? Treat it like a fine food or wine and note the hints of other things.

Taste your picnic. Although there are things to eat in nature I wouldn’t advocate using your sense of taste, unless it’s the picnic you’ve brought with you, and then feel free to slowly and mindfully eat your sandwiches!