Wellbeing: Time to slow down and discover Mother Nature’s health benefits

Does nature have the power to heal? Clinical hypnotherapist and stress-management coach Melanie Davies explores ways to connect to Mother Earth’s medicine

Celebrating International Mother Earth Day and Stress Awareness Month, it seems fitting to focus on the relationship between the two. Living in a fast-paced, increasingly urban and tech-driven world, I invite you to slow down for a moment and dip into the science behind the incredible benefits that nature offers to our health and wellbeing.

Fresh air and exercise have long been recognised as beneficial to physical health, but now research shows that the quality of our relationship with the natural world around us - a term coined by researchers as ‘connectedness to nature’- has a powerful impact on our levels of happiness.

A Mental Health Foundation study reveals that individuals with a higher sense of connection to nature have lower levels of depression and anxiety: they experience joy, calm and creativity more often, and report feeling a greater sense of life satisfaction.

Forest Therapy: The Science-Backed Benefits of Spending Time Among Trees

Shinrin-yoku is the Japanese practice of ‘forest bathing’ or spending intentional time in woodlands to enjoy health benefits. During the 1990’s, researchers explored the science behind what many have instinctively known for years: being amongst the trees feels good! Studies revealed that forest bathing does much more than simply lift our mood: physical effects include regulation of blood pressure, reduced blood glucose, endocrine regulation, respiratory benefits and improved immune function.

The Soothing Effects of the Water: Why Blue Spaces Calm the Mind

There is no getting away from our evolutionary past: our ancestors evolved from creatures living in the ocean. Around 60 – 70 per cent of our body is water; we are connected on a deep, elemental level. Little surprise then that science shows being close to water lowers cortisol, reducing stress and inflammation in the body as well as calming the mind.

Dr Lewis Elliott, from the University of Exeter and BlueHealth explains: ‘people who visit the coast regularly tend to experience better general and mental health’. However, the benefits are not just limited to seascapes; rivers and lakes have also been shown to promote positive feelings of wellbeing. One study of urban spaces found that those which included water, such as a fountain, were rated just as positively as those with green space, with researchers suggesting that the peaceful sounds of water, and the reflections of light may be reasons behind the perceived benefits.

Bring Nature Indoors: Creating a Calming Environment at Home and Work

Even if you are not able to get yourself out to the forest or coast regularly, you can still nurture your connection to nature. Playing sounds of the sea can be deeply soothing. Research shows water sounds lower blood pressure and stress levels, stimulating production of feel-good neurochemicals like dopamine and oxytocin, promoting relaxation and positive feelings.

Studies from the University of Reading show that having living plants indoors promotes feelings of wellbeing and calm, (although the plants need to be lush and healthy to maintain this positive impact).

Nurture your relationship with Nature: Be Intentional with your Connection

Ideally, make some time in your life to get outside and consciously connect with nature. Notice the texture of the trees and leaves as you walk past; take time to watch the way water ripples and moves; breathe in the scents of nature around you. Stopping to notice the intricate details of the natural world switches us into a different gear, engaging the parasympathetic nervous system so we ‘rest and digest’.

I encourage you to dedicate some time to build a better relationship with nature: get out and about and feast your senses on the sights and sounds of spring. For those days when time restricts you from getting outside, why not download and enjoy a free outdoor holiday meditation from my website? There’s a few to choose from: mountains, safaris or a tropical island, available as a free download from melaniedaviesmindsolutions.com

However you do it, I hope you find joy reconnecting with nature and feel the benefits of her healing gifts.

Melanie Davies is a sleep and stress management consultant and clinical hypnotherapist providing help for individuals, as well as workplace wellbeing services across Suffolk and Cambridge. Visit melaniedaviesmindsolutions.com