Mental Health Awareness Week 2021- The Wonder of nature.

Mental Health Awareness Week 2021- The Wonder of nature.

 

If you know me in real life you will know I value my mental health! More than 20 years ago I struggled so much that I couldn’t leave the house, experienced panic attacks and lived with Depression. And today anxiety and me go hand in hand and learning to live with my visitors has been a valuable lesson.

Lockdown for me brought back the familiar feeling of home being safe and the outside world being something to be feared. The worry about loved ones and their mortality came screaming into focus just like 20 years ago.

And this is where nature comes in! Nature is an incredible healer. I have always been lucky to live in rural locations where everywhere you look is green and lush. And the evidence is that for people living with depression (and those that aren’t) Green spaces help with concentration, creativity and memory. If you are lucky enough to live in the Shetland Islands, nature based activities have been prescribed since 2018 to help with stress and mental health conditions.

During the very first lockdown I was lucky enough to explore the village I live in with my children and feel curious but safe in the green outdoors. Nature has a wonderful way of creating safe spaces and distractions from the worries around us. I could listen to bird song for hours (apart from you Mr pheasant, sorry!) and return having breathed more deeply, feeling calmer and more connected to the world around you. If you need to feel grounded, head outside!

And Floristry is an amazing career to help promote feelings of connection to nature and the seasons and in turn having a positive impact on your mental wellbeing. We get to see the changing seasons through the blooms we use, enjoy all the colours that nature has to offer and enjoy the unique scents of each flower or foliage. Grounding, safe and creative. For me, the perfect balance.

Just like nature my Mental well being ebbs and flows and learning to go with the ‘seasons’ and not against it is a lesson I am always learning. I hope you can join the journey too.

Thank you for reading! If you would like to learn mor about Mental health Awareness 2021 please visit: https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/campaigns/mental-health-awareness-week

Most importantly you are loved, you are valued, and you matter.