Nature’s beauty

Nature is beautiful, awe inspiring, and pretty amazing, but lifestyles these days mean many people are not getting to appreciate or access the great outdoors around Rye. Work, phones and busy lives or health all contribute to a lack of time spent in nature which is really sad because it has so much to offer our overall health and wellbeing.

How often do you get outside?

Getting outside, paying attention to what’s around you, in front of you and using all of your senses is a powerful way to bring in calmness and a great way to help your body reset. Being outside doesn’t mean spending hours hiking, it can be taking a walk or time spent gardening. Have you checked out Rye Community Garden? It is a great opportunity to meet new people and learn new things by becoming a volunteer, getting your hands in the soil can be very grounding and gardening is therapeutic.

It can be simply sitting outside and listening to the birds singing which also has a calming affect. Birds sing when they feel safe from predators. Rye Harbour Nature Reserve have ‘guide in the hide ‘ walks where you can be out in beautiful landscape and learn about the huge variety of birds there.

Swimming in the sea or a lake are all ways to help you feel better. Rye Water Sports currently have swimming sessions there where you can feel safe swimming but still in a beautiful environment. You never know, you may even be tempted to try something new like paddle boarding.

Finding what you like is best as you will more likely stick to it and get more from the activity or varying the ways you spend time outside, with friends or solo its completely your choice.

Being outside doesn’t mean taking up hours of your day, its not practical but allowing yourself some time that you can fit in will benefit you hugely. First thing in the morning can set you up for the day or at the end the day with a few moments relaxing, helping to calm your system before bed.

Taking time to use your senses to appreciate nature

Being out in nature allows all of our senses to be utilised. How often do you pay attention to the sights in front and around you? Do you take the time to be present and really notice the beauty of nature? The view or the flowers growing around wild in fields bringing a feast for the eyes with vibrant colours?

What do you hear? The birds singing, people chatting or the leaves rustling, really listen and you will be surprised at what you can hear.

What do you feel? The warm sun on your face or the gentle breeze? How do you feel internally?

What can you touch? The leaves or bark on a tree as you pass by, pick up a pinecone.

Are you tempted by blackberries whilst out walking, this brings in taste. There are plenty of things to forage but ideally an expert in this field with you is best. There is lots to learn about this alone and much more which helps keep the brain active.

All of these things allow our minds a break and if you can practice being in the moment and focusing on what you see, hear, touch and smell, you will find it elevates your mood and with consistency it will become natural to be more mindful instead of mind full.

It really is such a great tool to giving your wellbeing a boost, which we all need to not only help boost mood but to create new ways of being, lifting mind body and spirit. I’m not saying it is easy and does take practice and consistency, but it is so worth it, being with others or having a moment to yourself are all important to enhance mental health.

Nature offers so much, and season changes are lovely: the leaves changing colour in autumn, the frosts of winter and cooler air, the joys of nature coming alive in spring and summer bringing warmer, longer days meaning so much more daylight to get outside.

To sum it up, being outside in nature helps to improve mood, reduce stress levels and feel more relaxed, it can help you be more active, sleep better, and enables you to meet new people, to name a few.

Image Credits: Carolyn Gould .