It’s in our nature

One of the impacts of the pandemic was how so many of us were drawn out of our houses and into the countryside and other green spaces.

Of course, this was partly out of necessity due to the restrictions, but it certainly seems that parks and beauty spots continue to be busier than usual, even since the restrictions eased.

In many ways, this isn’t surprising. It’s easy to notice the shift in our mood when we are in a park or woodland, compared to being in the office or in the middle of a busy city. Many of us seek out natural spaces when we’re feeling stressed and need some breathing space. If you close your eyes and picture the most calming place you can imagine, nature will almost certainly feature!

Indeed, as the Irish poet John O’Donohue said:

“When the mind is festering with trouble or the heart torn, we can find healing among the silence of mountains or fields, or listen to the simple, steadying rhythm of waves. The slowness and stillness gradually takes us over. Our breathing deepens and our hearts calm and our hungers relent. When serenity is restored, new perspectives open to us and difficulty can begin to seem like an invitation to new growth.”

— John O'Donohue

And when he talks of our breathing deepening and our hearts calming, he’s not just talking figuratively.

New scientific research is helping us to begin to understand the true, tangible impact of nature on our mental and physical wellbeing. In naturalist Emma Mitchell’s fascinating book, The Wild Remedy, she describes studies which demonstrate the physical and neurological changes that are brought about by spending time in nature:

“Blood pressure decreases, levels of the stress hormone cortisol drop, anxiety is alleviated and pulse rates diminish in subjects who have spent time in nature and particularly among trees. Levels of activity in the sympathetic nervous system, responsible for our fight or flight response to stress, drop away.”

— Emma Mitchell, The Wild Remedy

These biochemical changes lasted up to a month in the people who took part in these studies.

There’s a reason I use images of nature on my website - research shows that even just looking at photos of natural scenes has a positive impact on our mood.

A study from the University of Exeter Medical School has also shown that spending just two hours per week in nature has a remarkable impact on our wellbeing. One of the surprising findings of this study was that it didn’t matter whether the two hours were taken in one go, or in shorter doses - the positive impact remained the same.

Some of us find spending time in nature a bit challenging. Perhaps the idea of being out in the elements doesn’t appeal to you, or you don’t have an abundance of nature easily accessible to you. Some of us find a bit of wildness quite intimidating.

But if you can find what works for you - whether it’s time in your garden, an urban park, or a wander on the beach (we’re spoiled for choice of beautiful coastlines here in the North East!) - try to make time to include nature in your week.

And, if you can, try to get out even when the weather is bad. Life doesn’t wait for a sunny day, and getting out in all weathers and taking notice of what’s around us, can help us to engage all our senses and ground us in the natural rhythm of the seasons.

Further reading

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