Here we are again, cooped up at home. I’m not sure about you, but at first I couldn’t wait to break away from the confines of my home and take in the fresh air. But now, I find I have to dig really, really deep to find the energy and motivation to get out and just take a walk!
Last week, after 3 straight days at home, we decided to take a walk. No one really wanted to get up and get ready. The blast of cold January air that hit our faces almost drove us all back indoors. It was only our collective strength that propelled us down the road.
We made our way to a local woodland a mere stone’s throw away from home. We have taken these woods so much for granted, but honestly it is such a gift. As we walked around listening to the birds and watching squirrels run up and down trees. Our lethargy rolled off as we saw the kids stomp through boggy puddles squealing in horrified delight at the squelch that tried to steal their wellies right off their feet. We came back home red-cheeked and happy, vowing to do this more often.
While we are forced to remain local over the next six weeks it’s easy to dismiss our local green spaces. Our minds crave for some excitement and at the moment excitement is in really short supply.
So, how do we replace our need for a thrill?
Maybe we need to take a u-turn and try and find calm instead.
Shake off boredom and lethargy with half an hour in nature’s care.
Wear some comfy walking shoes and just take a stroll, breathe in the smell of wet earth, let the soft green of the leaves soothe raw nerves and feel the stress of the day slip away, if only for a little bit.
In one of Greater Good Magazine articles about How Nature can make you Kinder, Happier and more Creative, you can find many studies that suggest how nature can help our brains and bodies to stay healthy. The outcomes of the studies indicate that :
Being in nature decreases stress.
Nature makes you happier and less moody
Nature relieves tension, fatigue and increases creativity.
Nature may help you be kind and generous.
Nature makes you ''feel more alive''
Through lockdown we consume so much media - binge watch mini-series, obsessively track the news or constantly scroll through our social media. A moment away from all of that in nature can really bring us back.
I am sure this is one reason the tree-pose is one of my favourite poses, when I feel distracted and my thoughts and feelings are scattered, picturing a big leafy tree and standing in tree-pose always brings me back to feeling more present and grounded.
Of course, I fall off the grid and spiral off into chaos again. But I’m lucky, for inevitably somebody from the wonderful More Than Mums community reaches out and helps me get back on track. Sometimes all you need is a little or nudge or even a boot up your backside from someone who knows exactly how you feel, because they have been there too! Yes, we are so much stronger when we are together.
Shwetha Jairam
Copywriter
Comments