How do you get your nature fix?

It has always been our instinct that time spent in nature is calming, restorative and rejuvenating. As we have progressed on our own transformational journeys and understood more about our own sources of resilience, nature has played an increasingly important role in our personal strategies for self care.

It also often forms part of our work with clients as we work with them to develop wider workplace wellbeing strategies. Approaches like encouraging people to find their own simple practices around self care and resilience building can open up wider conversations about the importance of time in nature for individual and collective wellbeing.

We have also often found that running group or individual coaching sessions outside or on walking journeys through nature can lead to even more transformational outcomes.

It’s no surprise then that one of our favourite books over the last few years is The Nature Fix by Florence Williams.

Her subtitle is “Why Nature Makes us Happier, Healthier, and More Creative”

It’s one of those reads that takes our instinct about the restorative power of nature and provides a huge range of scientific support for it. More and more science is showing that time in nature isn’t just restorative, it can even also affect our health, happiness and creativity.

Just a few of the facts she uncovers are that:

Just 45 minutes exposure to nature improves most people’s cognitive performance
The oils released in the air of evergreen forests act as mild sedatives while also stimulating respiration
The aesthetic appeal of natural landscapes is so pleasing to our brains that it creates the alpha waves that stimulate relaxation
Water and birdsong have been shown to improve mood and alertness
Even time spent in parks and as little as 5 hours a month spent in nature can have long term health benefits

So the scientific facts increasingly show that one of the best sources of wellbeing and self care we have is freely available in the nature all around us.

So how are you planning to get your nature fix this summer? And how can you incorporate more nature into your everyday routines?

Want to take this further?

Do you want to gain insight into personal transformation? Do you want to learn how your own Mental Fitness can be the framework for understanding how you can develop greater self-awareness and grow in your own capability and resilience?

Or, if you play a role in your organisation’s development and that of those who work with you and their Mental Fitness, we’d love to talk.