Could you start a new habit of nature connection during mental health week?
I went for a walk down by the beach. I know that time in nature is good for me – and try and get a dose of nature every day. But I’m not always disciplined. I’ve been feeling pretty crappy lately. Too much to do, not enough down time, tired, blah blah. So down the beach I went.
I chose one of our ‘Being in Nature’ practices, called ‘Miniature marvels‘.
In essence it’s about focus. Sitting still and noticing. We know that this is great in itself, and just 5 minutes can transform your day. With nature in the mix, we build our connection to a world bigger than ourselves. Seeing natural beauty, and thinking about what it means to you, are key elements of ‘nature connection‘ – which researchers like Miles Richardson have shown can lead to almost double our life satisfaction and likelihood we will take action for nature and the environment.
My ‘Miniature marvel’ experience this morning involved the strand line. I found several kinds of seaweed, shells of mussel, cockle, common oyster, periwinkle and razor clam. Egg cases of undulate rays and spotted catshark. The more I looked, the more I found – detail, wonder, and increasing calm and peacefulness.
How could you start a new nature habit?