Nature and wildlife can benefit both your mental and physical wellbeing by increasing pleasant feelings and ultimately, reducing negative emotions, such as anger, fear and stress.
The wonderful thing about nature is the number of opportunities we have to connect!
Having those meaningful moments, whether that’s seeing the bulbs you plant sprouting or witnessing a charm of goldfinches around your birdfeeder, all contribute as positive affirmations to give you a well-needed boost.
Are you searching for some wonderful wildlife experiences to bring into your life? If you’re not sure where to start, we’ve got you covered…
More birds - better health!
It’s a fact that bird watching and seeing birds in your garden does improve your health and wellbeing. Studies have shown a correlation between happiness and the number of bird species, with birds being found to be just as important for human wellbeing as financial security.
With this in mind, attracting birds into your garden is a positive and uplifting thing to do in order to lower feelings of depression, anxiety and stress.
If you have a garden or greenspace and are looking to fill it with the sound of flapping wings and tuneful chirping, providing a tasty snack is a great way to entice your feathered friends.
Fans of the blackbird? Try fatty nibbles or mealworms; blue and great tits favour a feeder, with suet and peanuts both a winner.
The way to a chaffinch’s heart? Sunflower hearts of course! Remember, leftovers, such as bread, fruit cake and dried fruit are all acceptable snacks for your bird table.
Get outside for a reserve ramble
Maybe you need to get away from it all and a nature ramble is more your bag? Grab your walking boots, waterproofs/sunglasses*, refreshments and look up your local nature reserve.
There, you can plan your day, fancy a trip to a hide? Go for it! Perhaps exploring a woodland area for creepy critters or funky fungi is more your thing (staying on the allocated pathways) or simply equipping yourself with a pair of binoculars and looking to the skies!
Whatever you choose to do, make a day of it and you’ll come back with many positive experiences and memories and the perfect prescription for nature-deficit disorder.
*Weather permitting!
A safe space to shelter
If constructing is your thing, look to build a brilliant bug hotel! Creating a hideaway for the bugs and beasties is your chance to let your imagination and resourcefulness run riot, plus, the opportunity to upcycle your garden waste.
It can be incredibly therapeutic and rewarding to build something and then see it being used by the creatures that live in your greenspace. The sky's the limit, so go wild with your creativity!
A wild change of scene
If you love to exercise, getting outdoors in nature is a great way to boost those endorphins and reduce feelings of stress, anger and frustration.
If you’ve been sticking to the same routes, especially if you’re a runner, seek out new trails that bring you closer to water, green spaces or wild areas (be careful not to disturb anything).
Are you a creative creature?
Showcase some of your talents by combining them with the outdoors and incorporating nature into your hobbies. If you consider yourself a bit of an artist, try painting a particularly beautiful landscape, or maybe get out your camera and start snapping at the wonderful wildlife around you.
Write a story inspired by nature and your experiences, or if you have music in your veins, create some recordings of the natural world and incorporate them into a musical composition.
This can all help with understanding and noticing the beauty of nature and building stronger emotional connections to the outside world.
Make sure to share your own nature experiences and ideas with us on our Instagram or Facebook channels - we’d love to see what you come up with!
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