Connecting with Nature: A Path to Well-Being

How connected do you feel to nature?

For me, I love spending summers with my family in the Berkshires because of the deep connection to nature it offers. I find that taking time to walk my dog through a forest or spend a weekend afternoon at the lake can truly refresh me.

During the first year of the pandemic, this connection became even more crucial. Every day, no matter the weather, I insisted that my family join me for a short walk in our nearby nature preserve. We watched the seasons change day by day and found solace and safety in nature. I now remember it as a very healing experience during such a challenging time.

Have you ever felt restored by nature? What comes to mind for you as a place of solace and healing? Perhaps it's a beach view, a forest, or sitting in the shade of a tree in your backyard?

Research shows that we all benefit from being in nature:

• Improves Focus: Nature helps us concentrate better.

• Reduces Stress and Anxiety: It lowers levels of stress, anxiety, depression, and anger.

• Boosts Immunity: Being in nature strengthens our immune system.

• Enhances Physical Health: It positively impacts our heart health.

Even if we can't access nature during the workday, we can bring elements of it into our spaces. Decorating our offices with plants and pictures of nature, and taking regular breaks to look out the window at greenery or the sky, can make a significant difference.

Visualization also plays a powerful role. When we visualize nature, it activates the frontal areas of our brain, making our lower brain regions respond as if it's real. This can help calm the nervous system and enhance our overall well-being.

I have a whole series of classes on connecting to Nature in the membership if you want more from me on this subject.

Happy Summer, everyone!