Nature and wellbeing
Being in nature can help support our health and wellbeing.
Feeling close to nature can help support our wellbeing – connecting with nature is something we can all do to help look after ourselves. It can help us to reduce negative feelings such as stress, anxiety and anger, and increase positive feelings such as joy and relaxation.
Our Green Wellbeing Directory lists many groups in Bedfordshire to get out in nature – including gardening, walking or conservation groups.
If you are unable to attend local groups, here are some ideas of other nature connection activities you can try from home.
Noticing Nature
How often do you simply give yourself time to sit quietly in nature and notice what is going on? Bringing your attention to what you see, hear, feel and smell in the natural world around you, can be very mindful and calming. Can you find a spot to sit and watch nature by your window, on your balcony or in your garden?
What patterns do you see? What is moving? How many sounds do you hear? What draws your attention? How does it feel to sit for 15 minutes and simply bring your attention to nature?
Perhaps you could create a nature journal to record what you notice and how it makes you feel.
Here are some apps that may help you to notice and connect to nature:
Cultivating Wellbeing app - enabling you to create and follow a personalised gardening and nature wellbeing plan, track your progress and reflect on your journey, with gentle motivation to keep you going.
Go Jauntly app - it’s Nature Notes feature enables you to capture the good things you see in everyday nature, with daily prompts to remind you to notice the natural world.
Nurturing Nature
Taking care of plants and animals can help us feel closer to nature and feel good. Here are some simple ideas to help us nurture nature.
Grow plants on your windowsill - it can be very satisfying to nurture plants indoors. Perhaps you could create a calming herb garden on your window sill? Click here about how to do this from Thrive horticultural charity.
For lots of other simple garden ideas, have a look at the Royal Horticultural Society website.
Inspiring Nature
Nature can inspire us in our lives, and encourage us to express its beauty in our creativity.
How do you like to get creative? Can you find inspiration in the sounds, colours, patterns or shapes in nature?
Perhaps you can make art out of natural materials?
"It’s a nice atmosphere, everyone joins in and comes out of their shell."
"I have felt a lot more positive, not feeling so down or depressed."
"Once I’ve had breakfast, I get up and do things straight away rather than sitting and thinking about it."
"I have increased gardening at home. I used to do nothing, now I am getting out in the garden and trying things out."
"I can be feeling down in the morning but leave feeling much happier."