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Go for a walk in nature.
You’ll probably find this on any list detailing ways to clear your head, help with your mental health or improve your well-being in general.
And it can sound wonderful! Walking on a gravel path lined with long summer grass, looking up at deep green tree leaves frame the corners of a clear blue sky with wispy clouds here and there, the birds singing in the background crafting the perfect nature soundtrack.
Who wouldn’t be cured by that?
But it isn’t until you really connect with it all, when it stops becoming an idea that you might do later today or on the weekend, and you really go out there, maybe on a hike or a really long walk in a nature reserve
That you feel the true power of going on a nature walk.
I’ve had my fair share of sad days; enough to start paying rent to down in the dumps because I’ve found myself there a little too often. (Thanks Seasonal Affective Disorder. God I hate Winter)
And I was having one recently. I spoke about it in my personal newsletter which you can sign up to here if you’d like!
I didn’t want to do anything and had next to no energy, especially not to go on a nearly 2-hour hike with my boyfriend.
But he got me out of the dumps, (I got my deposit back) and I already started feeling much better about 20 minutes into the walk.
I was laughing, I was becoming my usual silly self that typically embarrasses him in public (heheh) and I started to feel alive again.
There’s something about those damn trees, tiny lakes and huge green countryside hills that can really cheer a gal up. Even on a really cloudy day as you can see from my photos.
“Go for a walk in nature” may sound like a pointless task. It may even trigger you back to those days when you tried to tell your mum you wanted to have a mental health day off from school because you were really anxious that day and she told you to “walk it off” instead
But those six little words hold a lot more power than you think.
If you can, I strongly advise you to set some time aside, perhaps on the weekend if you work full time, and go for a really long walk along a reserve or somewhere where you can see some sheep hanging out. Somewhere you can really put your knees into it and surround yourself with the beauty of this planet.
And enjoy it!
It’s like a workout but no one’s screaming ONE MORE SET every five minutes. It’s just pretty trees and birds instead.
And about a thousand dogs! Divine!
Have you got a favourite place to walk? Is going for a walk in nature your number one go-to to cheer yourself up? Let me know your thoughts below if you’d like!
To hear more from me about self-discovery and forming new healthier habits, sign up to my newsletter and get your free self-reflection journaling guide or pick up an issue of JADEN magazine so you can hear from other people just like you on their self-discovery journeys.