Connect with Nature to Improve Your Mental Health

1. Connecting with Nature to Improve Your Mental Health

Research from organisations such as the Black Dog Institute highlights that a significant majority of Australians agree that being close to nature improves their mood. How we connect with nature differs from person to person. Some may choose to simply observe their surroundings, while others may wish to embrace it through touch and smell.

2. How can nature benefit my mental health?

Spending time in nature has a variety of benefits for both the body and mind. It can help reduce stress, improve your mood, boost attention span and support our overall wellbeing. The levels in which they provide a positive boost differs from person to person, as we all have preferences in how we connect with nature.

In some cases, finding time to get out in nature can be challenging. This is often why meditative videos and audio use real recordings of nature such as rain drops, running streams, wind and other nature based sounds.

Nature has also been shown to help alleviate common mental health concerns such as anxiety, depression and seasonal affective disorder (SAD). It can even help those who may experience climate change anxiety. These individuals may connect with nature more directly through conservation and volunteering work.

3. What do we mean by nature?

Nature refers to the natural forms we see around us such as grass, trees, lakes, streams and the like. Formations and structures can be natural or landscaped by architects to promote a particular feeling such as openness, or to complement surrounding structures. Nature can also refer to things like the weather, geological events, forms of life and humanity.

4. Connecting with nature in a meaningful way

Just stepping into your local park or bushland may be enough to help alleviate feelings of stress, but for some people, they may prefer a more direct approach such as swimming in natural bodies of water, walking barefoot or laying on a patch of grass.

Contrastingly, some may prefer to simulate nature indoors by listening to nature soundbites or consuming nature based shows whilst doing another activity such as yoga or meditation. It might involve a bit of trial and error, but finding your way of connecting with nature can help you reap its benefits to support your wellbeing.

5. Tips for connecting with nature to improve your mental health

Find nature where you are: Have you been curious about a local national park in your area but have never visited? Now is a great time to do so. You may get lucky and find unique Australian wildlife or find it is a new tranquil spot to soak in the sunlight.

• Connect with nature using all your senses:

If you have found a nice patch of nature to enjoy, it can help to engage as many of your senses as you can to really ground yourself. The smell of eucalyptus, the sound of a running stream and the sight of local birds are wonderful ways to boost your mental wellbeing.

• Get out into nature:

While it can be hard to carve out time in our busy schedules, it is super important for our wellbeing. Even if it is just a small part of your day, be sure to go to your local nature spot.

• Bring nature to you:

Cultivating nature indoors can be beneficial. Consider houseplants and placing them in prominent spots in your space to admire and look after. Alternatively, you can simulate nature by playing nature audio or watching a documentary based on the natural world.

• Exercise in nature:

If you are able to, do your workout outside. Whether that is a short walk through a park or a long run or cycling route, it can be incredibly calming to absorb the various nature spots.

• Combine nature with creativity:

It can help to think outside the box to increase your connectedness. You could try drawing what you see or simply taking a picture of a beautiful nature spot on your smartphone to notice the beauty around you.

• Protect nature:

Taking care of something is a great way to feel good about yourself. Even if you do not have green fingers for planting, something like recycling, litter picking or helping your local conservation community is a fantastic way to reduce climate anxiety.

6. How can you develop your connection with nature?

Developing a connection with nature is unique to everyone. That is why it is important to experiment with direct and indirect approaches to nature to discover what works best for you. You could try:

. Lying in a patch of grass

. Walking barefoot in nature

. Swimming in (safe!) open bodies of water

. Taking photos of nature and wildlife

. Birdwatching

. Writing, drawing and painting

7. Wisdom App and EAP

As part of our Employee Assistance Program (EAP), we offer the Wisdom app, a platform that allows you to track all things wellbeing, such as your water intake, steps, sleep and activity.

If getting out in nature more has been one of your goals to support your wellbeing, then Wisdom can help. Not only does it help you track your wellbeing, but it also provides a huge bank of content such as guided meditation, nature sounds and insightful mental health articles. It is a great way to supplement your efforts to get out in nature and improve your mental health overall.

8. Conclusion

Getting out in nature is paramount and proven to help with our mental health. Even simulating nature in small ways can make a difference to your overall mood. It is all about finding your way to connect with nature to improve your mental health, so do not be afraid to go a little further afield, start a new indoor planting project or simply take the time to appreciate nature in any way you can. While it will not be a cure all, it can highly supplement efforts to improve your mental health, particularly in trying times. Discover how Wisdom Wellbeing can support your organisation and call wisdom on 1800 868 659.