Take a minute to think about the last time you spent time in nature and took the time to appreciate our natural surroundings.
Spending time in nature can be highly therapeutic. Being outside, spending time observing wildlife in their environment, being with animals, and smelling the flowers can all make us feel better. Throughout history a variety of societies and cultures have emphasised the healing power of nature and the importance of people living in equilibrium with their environment. Elements of nature played a key role in various religious rituals and traditional medicine. The traditional rituals that incorporated nature in some way have often been viewed as an ancient form of therapy, and were used to help people recover from illness, cope with the unknown, and make the transition from one status to another.
Since the industrial revolution and the subsequent technological advances in our society, our relationship with nature has fundamentally changed;
We have steadily removed ourselves from our natural environment instead most people now live in cities or urbanized areas.
- Our industrialization has lead to greater pollution and contributed to global warming. The consequence of which we are just starting to see.
- Our lives have become dominated by electronic devices and the internet pushing us even further from any appreciation of our natural surroundings.
- Our society has become impatient and attention spans have greatly reduced. Most people are busy and rushing around, rarely taking the time to slow down and appreciate nature.
Nature can provide us with a healing space. It has its own pace and flow and this can help us with slowing down and taking time out of our busy lives. It can allow us to calm our minds and help give us space and time to process our feelings and thoughts. Also, connecting with nature allows us to connect with our inner nature. By learning to observe and relate to nature we can learn to take better care of ourselves and improve our relationships. Finally, spending time outside in nature can help us to gain perspective on our issues or problems.
Based on this, how can we utilize the healing potential of nature in our lives?
Take time out and go and spend time connecting with nature;
- Go for a walk; A recent study by MIND, “Eco-therapy: the green agenda for mental health”, explained how outdoor walks improved feelings of self-esteem, depression and tension.
- Take up gardening or just spend time relaxing in your garden.
- Do some exercise in nature such as cycling, water-sports, or other outdoor activities.
- Create specific times when you switch off all electronic devices and appreciate what’s around us.
- Try to take your time, don’t just rush around all the time; make the effort to notice and appreciate your environment more.
Take some time to think about your day-to-day routine and if you could plan some time to take a break slow things down and enjoy some time in nature.
– Matthew Shrine, Birmingham Counselling Services.