A little introduction…
It isn’t easy to find time in our busy days for going out into nature, especially if you live in a big city. However, even big cities have green spaces, some of them are actually quite big too, and it can be a really great opportunity to connect with nature before or after work. Nature is where we have all come from, and so it is logical that spending time with nature can help us feel more grounded, centred, and stable in how we think and feel. If you are feeling instable in your life, whether it’s because you’re between stages of life, or there are a lot of stressful situations surrounding you or something big has happened recently that has thrown you off, being in nature for just half an hour a day can really benefit your mental health. A good way of making time and space for nature in life is to think about something you enjoy doing, and see if you can do it in nature rather than indoors! This could be reading, listening to music, sport, journaling, having lunch or a snack or even working outdoors if you can use a portable laptop/tablet.
Looking to journal in nature? Get into journaling with these techniques in mind: Journaling for Stress Relief: How to Get Started
Solving your specific stressor using nature
Depression
Green, natural spaces can combat depression and relieve its symptoms in the short-term. Slow walks in the woods and fields can clear the mind of negative thoughts and give you a chance to reset.
Anxiety
Physical activity is known to reduce anxiety and increase people’s confidence in themselves. On top of that, doing sport outdoors can add an extra touch of peace and calm to your workout routine.
Overthinking
Going for a walk without a specific destination can give you the mental space to recollect and re-organise your thoughts and the emotions tied to them. This can be so useful when you feel like there are hundred of thoughts racing around your mind.
Antisocial
Taking time alone away from others in a place that has calming nature to see and hear can really help you recharge your social battery. This means that when it comes to social situations, you will have a rejuvenated energy to bring to the table.
Disconnection
If you don’t feel like you belong anywhere or you don’t feel like you have any people to rely on, you may be feeling disconnected. Spending time in nature can help you ground yourself and who you are, giving you a. chance to feel like you do have somewhere to be and things in life that are important.
Un-inspired
Going somewhere with different scenery that is a change from staring at a computer screen all day can really help you find a new perspective on where you are in life, and where you want to be in the future.
Considering adding nature to your morning or evening routine? Look at these other great things to add to your morning or evening routine which also reduce anxiety: Boost Motivation with a New Morning and Evening Routine
The science behind it all
The science behind it all: half an hour in nature can decrease cortisol levels (our body’s main stress hormone, and boost endorphins and dopamine, both of which are happy hormones. A lot of studies show that you don’t need to spend hours in nature every day to feel the positive effects of it, you can easily spend just 15 to 20 minutes in nature and gain a good boost from it. Nature allows people to come back to their creativity, it gives people a chance to see things from a different (and often healthier) perspective compared to focusing just on work or kids or what’s for dinner. What’s so interesting about nature is the way the seasons change, of course, not all places in the world have a clear change of seasons, but if you live somewhere where the weather changes throughout the year, it can be really beneficial to see how nature changed and progresses as a cycle from season to season. It can give us a way to compare nature’s progress to the progress of our life and make us more understanding when change comes to our lives when we don’t always ask for it.
