Nurturing Yourself with Nature

 

Nature has been a true healer for me in these past years, there was a point in my life a few years ago where I was struggling, the grief had finally caught up with me and I was right in the middle of the stress of setting up a new fitness business.

It was the first time since Paul and Imogen passed where I did not think I was going to make it, everything that I always used as a coping tool, my exercise, positive affirmations my nutrition, support from family and friends were not working for me. I knew I needed to find something new to take away my stress and to relax my mind and body, so that I could find perspective on the life I was trying to rebuild.

Then I found nature, I started taking little drives on my own to the beach and the rainforests, anywhere that there was water, a river running, the sound of the ocean crashing or the trickle of a waterfall, it was at these beautiful places that I found solace and I found peace, and my heart began to feel lighter.

I felt real happiness again in these moments and began to find acceptance of Paul and Imogen’s death and to develop the faith that life would be okay…..

I share this story with you as I wanted you to see just what the benefits of nature can be, we all experience times in our life where we are living in stress, we are constantly rushing, we are time poor, we have pressure and we are stressed. Finding the tools in life to help us cope, to find clarity, is vital, and nature can be one of those life tools.

Not only does it give us much needed time out, it also gives a chance to have an adventure, a new experience to be able to reflect on and remember…

Benefits of Nature

Nature heals – Being in nature or even viewing scenes of nature can reduce anger, fear, and stress. Exposure to nature not only makes you feel better emotionally but it can also improve your physical wellbeing, reducing blood pressure, heart rate, muscle tension and the production of stress hormones.

Nature Soothes – Nature helps us to cope with pain, because we find the beauty of the trees, plants and water captivating we become absorbed by the surroundings and feel distracted from our pain.

Nature Restores – It has been shown that spending time outdoors in nature can dramatically improve mood, people tend to move from feeling depressed, stressed and anxious to feeling calmer and more balanced. 

Paying Attention - Spending time in nature also improves our ability to focus, it gives us respite from our overactive minds, helping us to refresh for new tasks.

If you are feeling stressed, anxious or overwhelmed with your life, think about bringing more nature into your life, it could even be as simple as taking a walk in your local park, but it could make a real difference in how you feel, like it did for me.