It’s easy to forget the simple remedy that lies just beyond our doorstep: nature. The power of nature cannot be underestimated; there are recorded benefits to spending time outdoors and I’ve found it to be perhaps the single greatest thing I’ve started doing regularly to improve my life.
Physical Health
Of course, nature can be calming, but spending time outdoors is an excellent way to fit in some exercise. I have a criminally underused gym membership – I just can’t get along with the clinical and futuristic feel of a gym. I find it painful to go in there and spend forty-five minutes on a treadmill or exercise bike just to cover a few miles.
For me, it’s much easier to pop on my trusty Doc Martens and take a walk to the local nature reserve. It’s nothing fancy, but there is still something special about it. The exercise never feels like a chore; I can easily fit in three hours of activity without feeling like I want to give up entirely.
Whilst walking might not be the most intensive way to work out, I find it is one of the more enjoyable ways to keep up my active minutes, cover my step goals and keep myself moving. I used to hate going out in inclement weather, but I invested in a wonderful waterproof coat and have never looked back since. Come rain or shine, a walk through the trees and bushes does me a world of good and always leaves me feeling rejuvenated – much more than a sterile jog on the treadmill ever could.
Nature’s Therapeutic Touch
In an age where stress and anxiety are pervasive, nature serves as a powerful antidote. Studies have shown that spending time in natural environments can reduce stress levels, alleviate symptoms of depression, and improve overall mental health. The sights, sounds, and smells of nature have a calming effect on the mind, fostering a sense of peace and well-being that transcends words.
I’m never really without some technology; I can usually be spotted from a distance thanks to my rather over-sized headphones. I’ve taken recently to listening to soundscapes whilst out on my walks, and I find it adds an unusual dimension to exploring my own backyard. Recently, I took a trip to Balloo Wetlands and accompanied it with the BBC Wild Isles soundtrack; this added a wonderful layer of awe to the things I noticed as I was walking.
Sometimes, though, I do really love to just sit and absorb it all. I love lying in the moss and dirt and just watching and listening to see what is around me. The first things you notice are bigger and louder: pigeons, the breeze jostling the leaves, a squirrel leaping from branch to branch. After a while, though, your body seems to adjust and you tune in with the nature around you. You notice patterns and faces in the bark and petals; you spot a carrion fly and see how beautifully it is coloured; beams of gentle light break through the canopies above you, only to catch on delicate spiderwebs; a blanket of moss is peppered with tiny mycena pseudocorticola.
Embrace the Call of the Wild Wherever You Can
I don’t think engaging with nature requires you to live in areas of outstanding national beauty, or to have a noteworthy forest near you. It doesn’t even require going too far. I have the luxury of a back garden, and I often spend time sitting by my plants and spotting bugs. Sometimes the beauty is in watching birds flock to my birdfeeder, or watching my plants grow and unfurl. Sometimes it’s walking through a housing estate and spotting a fat pigeon atop a roof.
To conclude, I think it’s important to take some time to slow down and take stock, and any little corner of nature provides the perfect opportunity to do so. The world is a truly incredible place if you just take the time to realise it. There are so many little gems that we come across each day, little gifts from nature that bestow blessings of hope, awe and wonder upon us at any given moment. You just need to notice them.
How have you been engaging with nature recently?
The Opaque Elephant 
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