11/05/2021
This year concentrates on Nature and how important it is and vital in helping keep us emotionally, psychologically and physically healthy.
Nature can generate a multitude of positive emotions, such as calmness, joy, creativity and can facilitate concentration.
Even small contacts with nature can reduce feelings of social isolation and lower levels of poor mental health; in particular lower depression and anxiety levels.
Nature has a very wide definition.
It can mean green spaces such as parks, woodland or forests, as well as blue spaces like rivers, wetlands, beaches or canals.
It also includes trees on an urban street, private gardens, verges and even indoor plants or window boxes.
Surprisingly, even watching nature documentaries has been shown to be good for our mental health.
This is great news as it means the mental health benefits of nature can be made available to nearly every one of us, no matter where we live.
Listening to birdsong, touching the bark of trees, smelling flowers or feeling the soil between our fingers whilst planting bulbs, are all highly sensual ways to connect with nature.
As part of we're all being encouraged to get out and connect with nature and share our experiences with one another.
This week at we'll be doing this and encouraging our students to do so.
Please feel free to share your experiences with us here also.
*Research taken from the
*Photo credit: Marie Whittaker
