We know that connection with nature is good for us.
Spending time in green space or bringing nature into your everyday life can benefit both your mental and physical wellbeing hugely.
It's been proven to improve our mood, reduce feelings of stress and anger, increase our self-esteem and confidence, and importantly, reduce loneliness and isolation - a concerning hangover from Covid times perhaps, that presents itself often in the therapy room, in part, from the continuation of many of us working from home.
So how can we indulge in some restorative nature time in our working day?
Here are some ideas...
Take lunch outside - in a garden, park, on a bench - anywhere you can breathe in some fresh air and absorb some Vitamin D from the sunlight, which in turn can help regulate your circadian rhythm.
Plan to walk to complete local tasks such as posting a letter, or grabbing a coffee - it may offer a few cheery 'Hello's' that change the course of your day.
Go for a short walk whilst taking a phone call - not always possible, but where it is, multi-task and talk and walk! It may stimulate parts of your brain that offer more creative solutions.
Schedule in 'Nature Breaks' - just as you factor in making a cup of tea, commit to 5 minutes outside - perhaps even while the kettle is boiling. This provides enough time to take some deep breaths of oxygen to activate our relaxation response in our nervous system - this lowers our heart rate, blood pressure and stress hormone levels, ultimately leading to a calmer state of mind and body.
Suggest with colleagues or clients that meetings move from online platforms or conference rooms, to outdoor spaces... a quiet spot in a park, a well known circular route that mirrors the time you have allocated, a cafe with outdoor seating. Confidentiality will always need to be considered with your choice of location, of course, and this is more than possible as I have discovered, offering Walk and Talk therapy sessions.
The benefits of considering if there are any ways you can bring a little more nature and outside time into your day can be significant... reducing stress, improving focus, boosting creativity, increasing our energy levels, and allowing yourself a break from screens.
If you feel interested in trialling a therapy session either outside in the open air, or in the comfort of my therapy room, please get in touch and we can arrange an initial meeting of 30 minutes, for which there is no charge.
'Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better'
Albert Einstein
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