Mental Health Awareness Week

A series of interviews for Mental Health Awareness Week with a range of outstanding professionals where they share their experiences of how getting outside helps mental health and wellbeing

In collaboration with Ordnance Survey and the Mental Health Foundation

‘There is something to be wondered at in all of Nature’ - Aristotle

Can you sum up this year in a word? When I ask people, the same things come up again and again; tough, hard, difficult, challenging, heartbreaking, exhausting, and these are just a few of the descriptives proffered.

The Mental Health Foundation released a paper about the pandemic one year on and found that loneliness has risen, feelings of hopelessness have showed little change, 13% of people have had suicidal thoughts and young adults, full time students, unemployed, single parents and those with long-term disabling health problems and pre-existing problems with their mental health continue to be significantly more likely to be feeling distressed. Prioritising mental health has never been more critical than it is now. New mental health problems have developed as a result of the pandemic, and existing mental health problems have gotten worse.

This year the theme of Mental Health Awareness Week is Nature. The evidence of positive effects from nature includes studies on conditions such as depression and anxiety. Access to nature has been found to improve sleep and reduce stress, increase happiness and reduce negative emotions, promote positive social interactions and even help generate a sense of meaning to life. Being in green environments boosts various aspects of thinking, including attention, memory and creativity, in people both with and without depression. Nature is our great untapped resource for a mentally healthy future.

Those who know me are well aware that getting outside every day for your mental wellbeing is something I advocate, possibly even bang on about. But it works. In Japan the practice of Shinrin Yoku (which translates as forest bathing) was developed in the 1980’s and is backed by over 30 years of scientific study. Just 15 minutes a day can benefit your mental health, patients in hospitals who have a view of the outdoors are proven to recover faster. The other thing about the outdoors is that it is free. Even when I lived in central London I was able to access green space and take time to breathe it in. I am often asked what one thing I would advise anyone who is feeling the pressures of everyday life and it is always to connect with nature.

Studies have also found that reading and hearing about other peoples experiences can inspire others so here interview a range of professionals about their relationship with nature and mental health. Click on the image to take you to the interview and enjoy.

If you are affected in anyway by the content of these interviews then please visit www.mind.org.uk for help and guidance.

For more guidance and support from me on how to build a toolkit of strategies tailored to you take a look at my Mental Health Toolkit Page