To say we’ve faced some challenges over the last year would be an understatement. There isn’t a person on this planet who hasn’t been impacted in some way. We’ve seen our freedoms and movements curtailed, our social networks shrink to tiny bubbles, and contact with family and friends limited to disjointed zoom calls (Joan, we can’t hear you! Turn on your mike. No, on the left at the bottom. No, that’s your camera! Okay, now you’re frozen!). Our entire lives have been turned topsy turvey as we adjusted to a new normal of working and schooling from home, masked faces, fogged glasses, and chapped hands.
Just as the rollout of vaccines buoyed our hopes of returning to some semblance of our former lives, new variants and rising cases has resulted in further restrictions to sink that ship.
Covid fatigue has settled in and we’re all feeling the effects. Our initial motivation to use our time to learn a new language, renovate the bathroom, or build that deck has waned. We’ve baked all the bread we care to eat, seen every episode of Game of Thrones, (twice . . . and still hate the ending), and added a covid comfort layer that will never be considered beach body beautiful. We’re tired, we’re stressed, and we’re running out of things to keep us occupied.
With the onset of spring and the whisper of summer in the wind, regaining balance may just be a walk in the park. Literally, a walk in the park.
And into the forest I go, to lose my mind and feed my soul.
John Muir
The study of ecopsychology has blossomed since 2005 with over 1000 studies showing how a connection with nature has a positive impact on the mind, body and soul. As little as 120 minutes (2 hours) a week in or near green spaces can boost our sense of physical and mental health, regardless of culture, socio-economic status, or age. Incorporating just 20 minutes a day reaps an incredible number of health and wellness benefits, including:
- lower blood pressure
- reduced stress
- reduced anxiety
- increased self-esteem
- reduction in agression and/or anger
- reduced ADHD and depression symptoms
- increased speed of healing
- reduction in feelings of isolation
- lifted mood
- sense of community
Because getting out in nature often includes exercise, you get the added bonus of weight loss, better sleep and greater fitness. Being outdoors also helps with the absorption of vitamin D, necessary for a healthy immune system and the protection of bone, muscle and heart health.
What if you can’t get outside? The same studies have shown that just viewing images of nature can provide a similar boost to mood.
The next time you begin to feel the walls closing in and the dark clouds circling, before you grab the credit card for a little retail therapy or open the laptop to binge the latest offering, grab the cross-trainers instead and head to your local park. Your body and mind (and your bank account) will thank you for it.
Do you have a favourite green space where you go to unwind? I’d love to hear about it in the comments!
“In nature, nothing is perfect and everything is perfect.
Trees can be contorted, bent in weird ways, and they’re still beautiful.”
Alice Walker
Books that Change our Lives
Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones, James Clear
How many times have you tried to break a habit or start a new one, only to discard it after a few failed efforts? You might do well for a week or two, then fall back into old ways. James Clear’s New York Times bestseller, Atomic Habits, provides a practical system to enable success when developing habits, from the 1% improvement to the four laws of habit building. By focussing on the psychology of motivation, Clear has developed a simple and practical method that allows us to take tiny changes and turn them into remarkable result.
If you’re looking for a better way to building good habits, this is it!
COMING IN MAY
In the fall of 2015, I spent five weeks in nature walking 800 km across Spain on the Camino de Santiago. A pilgrimage that dates back to the 9th century, Camino is a metaphor for life – sometimes hard, sometimes easy, every moment a choice that determines your direction. It is also a lesson in setting and achieving goals. Sign up and join my weekly video series Camino de Santiago: Lessons in Life and discover the 12 keys to successfully setting and achieving your dreams.
JEANNE M WALSH COACHING 
We enjoy a couple of trails in Carp & Lanark County, the girls really benefit from the tech break and trees!
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Lanark County is such a beautiful area – especially in the fall when the leaves change!
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