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Whatever the reason, many of us are experiencing increased levels of stress and anxiety in our day-to-day lives. During the spring and summer months there are greater opportunities to spend time outdoors but during the autumn and winter, when the days are short, our time spent outdoors is much reduced, increasing our chances of suffering from anxiety and stress.
We have created some mindfulness videos that will help you to reconnect with nature. Based on the Five Ways to Wellbeing, we will explore together how you can reconnect with nature in your home, relax and ease your mind from the stresses of life.
Start here to learn more about the Nature at Home series, including an introduction to the 5 Ways to Wild Wellbeing and 5 Pathways to Nature Connection that the series activities are designed around.
Learn how to tune in to your 5 senses to fully appreciate and experience the nature around you, including nature found within your own home. Perhaps you may even feel inspired to have a little go at some nature writing using some of our simple prompts!
A few ideas for how you can arrange a meet up with nature, just as you might arrange to meet up with a friend. Spending some quality time with the nature around you is a great way to slow down and feel good. Starting within your own home and building up to planning a trip to visit nature a little further afield, this video will take you step by step towards taking some time out for yourself to enjoy your local nature.
Let nature inspire you to get a little creative, and connect with the natural beauty all around you. This video has something for everyone to try, including the complete beginner, you might just surprise yourself at what you can create!
Take a few minutes for yourself and enjoy a mindful cup of tea with Kirsty from Derbyshire Wildlife Trust. Learn how to select your own herbs and create your own teas, along with a bonus scent sachet tutorial.
Join Kirsty from Derbyshire Wildlife Trust and find out some simple ways you can help care for the nature on your door step. From making mini bug houses out of recycled bottles, to creating healthy snacks to feed the ducks, this video has plenty of ways for you to get involved.
If you’ve enjoyed these videos, and would like some more ideas around how to spend time with nature to boost your wellbeing, you can continue to follow Kirsty and the rest of the Derbyshire Wildlife Trust Wellbeing team via their webpages at www.derbyshirewildlifetrust.org.uk/wild-wellbeing
A walk, no matter where or for how far will have a positive effect on your mental health. Photo © 2022 Mark Hamblin/2020VISION (WildNet).
A walk should be an activity that focuses on you and those walking with you. No matter if you are walking alone or with friends or family, leave your mobile phone at home.
Once you have started your walk, slow down, walk gently. Take a moment to pause. Stand for a moment to two; be aware of your whole body from the top of your head to the tips of your toes. Then try some simple relaxation exercises…
Now begin to walk… slowly! There is no rush. Focus on what you can see around you. Look to the left and to the right, look up high into the sky, chest out, head held high. Stop again, wait, relax. Spotted something that caught your eye? Take time observe and appreciate everything around you. Continue to take slow breaths.
Transforming the Trent Valley is delivering a project to help improve the mental wellbeing of people right across our scheme area.
Our Connecting with Nature project will enable more people to connect with nature to improve their mental wellbeing. Participants will begin to understand the river, wetlands and heritage of the area through a programme using ‘forest school’ type methods, including community gardening, guided walks and bushcraft activities.
07/01/2021 Photo © 2024 Transforming the Trent Valley (Steven Cheshire)
Keep a journal noting down dates, walks and things you saw. Note how the seasons change, and notice how your observations, thoughts, and ideas change too. A journal entry can consist of notes, drawings, scrap-book items, found objects – anything. Write just one-word to describe your walk, your mood, your day, write a paragraph or a poem. Write about how you are feeling.
Perhaps you know someone you can ‘Buddy Up’ with? Someone who might enjoy walking too. Do not be afraid to ask, you might just make someone’s day!
Observing wildlife is especially relaxing and useful in reducing stress in our lives. It encourages you to slow down, be calm and quiet.
What are the birds doing? Are they feeding, singing, searching for food, nest building or preening? Follow one bird… what is it doing? What colour is it, how does it move? Is it solitary or part of a small group or a large flock? Are they feeding on the ground, in hedgerows or trees? What are they eating?
No birds? Look up at the sky. Is it cloudy? How fast the clouds are moving? Do not forget that just above the clouds there is a beautiful blue sky bathed in sunshine. Is the sun shining through the trees? Are the trees blowing in the wind? Seek out shadows, light and dark.
Take a quiet moment to observe the world around you. Photo © 2022 Matthew Roberts (WildNet).
Be aware of the sounds around you. Try separating out the sounds. What can you hear? Birdsong, traffic, sirens, rustling leaves, voices, laughter, music. Take time to focus on each sound. Listen with your eyes open, and then with your eyes closed. Which sounds do you find most relaxing?
The BBC have launched their own Soundscapes mixer, giving you the opportunity to create the perfect relaxing track – just for you.
It is proven that time in nature can improve your mental health, so why not try creating your own mix from over 33,000 sounds from around the world, 17,000 of those from nature itself. Once you’ve finished you can download the file to play when you need a little time to unwind.
If the sun is shining, turn your face towards the sun, eyes closed, and feel the warmth on you face. There may be a breeze, if so, notice the direction it comes from. If it is raining, can you feel the raindrops on your face? Close your eyes for a moment and become aware of all the different sensations. Are different parts of your body feeling warm or cool? If you are able, gently touch moss, tree bark, wood, leaves, grass, and stone and take time to experience the different textures.
Take some deep breaths and be aware of the smells along your walk, some pleasant and some less-so! Trees, shrubs, and flowers all smell different throughout the day, seek out different smells, crush leaves between your fingers to give your nostrils an odour-rich workout!
Get closer to nature and use all your senses to experience the natural world in all its glory. Photo © 2022 Tom Marshall (WildNet).
Everyone responds to stress and anxiety in different ways. Stress and anxiety can affect your emotions, physical wellbeing, mental ability and behaviour.
Emotional symptoms can include:
Physical symptoms can include:
Cognitive symptoms can include:
Behavioural symptoms can include:
As you walk and engage all your senses, notice how other thoughts may still linger in the back, or forefront, of your mind. Allow these thoughts to come and go.
If you find a place that makes you feel calm, remember the place, and promise to return. It can be helpful to visualise a place and remember how calm it made you feel.
At the end of the walk, take time to think about how you feel compared to when you set off. Do you feel less tense? Is your breathing deeper and slower? Have you experienced moments along your walk when you have felt less anxious?
Take a quite moment... just for you to relax and unwind in nature Photo © 2022 Alan Walker (WildNet).
