One of the first things I did, in Lockdown One, was to install bird feeders in the line of sight from my desk at home. I am keenly aware how much I benefit from seeing the natural world around me. The blue tits were the first to find the feeder, followed by blackbirds and pigeons clearing the food that had dropped to the ground. Collared doves, sparrows and robins soon appeared, and the local squirrel is there every day. In the tree canopy above, great tits and wrens harvest the insects, and today I have seen goldfinches amongst the flowers of the quickthorn tree. For the period when we were allowed an hour’s permitted exercise from our front door, I enjoyed the small changes in the front gardens around me. The current guidelines are to minimise travel, and I am fortunate to have parks and Wildlife Trust sites within a 10 mile radius of home. I have walked around them in rain, sleet and snow, in sun and in wind. Our seasons have gone full-circle in a calendar year, as has the pandemic.
This week is Mental Health Awareness Week. Mark Rowland, Chief Executive of the Mental Health Foundation said: “Mental Health Awareness Week has grown to be one of the biggest awareness weeks in the UK. This year the theme is on nature and its central role for our mental health. Since the beginning of the pandemic, millions of us turned to nature to help us get through lockdowns and our research shows that good mental health depends on us being able to connect with nature in some way and its power in both prevention of and recovery from poor mental health.
“During the week, we want to hear millions of people’s stories about how the natural world has supported their mental health.
“We also want to highlight the huge disparities between who is and who isn’t able to access nature. We want the week to explore how everyone across the UK can connect with nature and experience the mental health benefits wherever they live.”
Here are some the ways you can participate in Mental Health Awareness Week:
· During Mental Health Awareness Week, why not try to make a habit each day of connecting to the nature in your local area? Stop to listen to the birdsong, smell the freshly cut grass, take care of a house plant, notice any trees, flowers or animals nearby. Take a moment to appreciate these connections.
· Share images/videos/or just sound recordings of the nature on your doorstep (and how this made you feel) on social media using #ConnectWithNature and #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek
· Use Mental Health Foundation resources in your family, school, workplace and community to join with thousands of people who will be finding new ways to connect with nature in their local environment.
As we try to find ways to cope with the ongoing concerns of living with Covid-19 and the necessary restrictions in place to restrict its spread, we know that experiencing nature has a positive impact on our wellbeing. A Survey by Natural England showed that 88% of people agree that spending time in nature makes them feel calm and relaxed, and 90% say they feel refreshed and revitalised[1]. Spending time in nature can actually reduce anxiety and depression, according to the nature and mental health report produced by mental health charity Mind[2]. It also states that being outside in natural light can lift a person's mood, which is more important now than ever as we all try to look after our mental health amidst the COVID-19 crisis.
For more information about this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week visit mentalhealth.org.uk/mhaw or join the conversation on social media using #ConnectWithNature and #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek
About Jane: Jane is a Positive Psychology Practitioner and Coach, based in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk.
Jane currently has capacity for two new coaching clients, please get in touch by emailing jane@adoptingpositivity.co.uk if you would like to find out more
She is a Director of Autonomous Ideas Limited, founder of Adopting Positivity, and part of the collaborative team at Essex Family Law. She is also a trustee for Home for Good, Suffolk, and an Adopter Voice Champion for Adoption UK.
Jane is also co-founder and co-organiser of the Positive Psychology Summit:UK.
She is a Fellow of the Positive Psychology Guild. Autonomous Ideas Ltd, and the Positive Psychology Summit:UK are organisational members.
#MentalHealthAwarenessWeek #PositivePsychology #Wellbeing #Nature #Mind #NaturalEngland #ConnectWithNature
[1] https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/monitor-of-engagement-with-the-natural-environment-headline-report-and-technical-reports-2018-to-2019
[2] https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/tips-for-everyday-living/nature-and-mental-health/how-nature-benefits-mental-health/