In April we celebrate Earth Day and have the opportunity to show gratitude for all that Mother Earth gives to us. Now, more than ever it seems she needs our love and attention. I encourage you to think about all that she gives to us daily and how you can give back, not only on Earth Day or this month, but with lifestyle changes that can carry forward and make a difference. This month also gives you an opporunity to consider all of the ways Mother Nature takes care of your well-being.
How nature takes care of you:
There is significant scientific data to support the positive health impacts of time in nature. You can use nature for mindfulness practice and become present with your five senses in nature. Gardening is a common practice for “super agers.” Certain plants have health properties, such as aiding in digestion or are anti-inflammatory. Indoor plants can improve air quality and flowers are mood boosters.
My dear friend, Annie Kirk of redbirdco.io has been coaching, teaching, farming, designing, and living the healing power of nature for her entire career. She walks her talk and tends to her well-being and that of her clients with these nature-infused design suggestions for creating a sanctuary feeling at home, work and garden:
- In your home, ask: What here soothes me? What overstimulates? Consider soft, natural textiles, rounded forms, and gentle, organic color palettes wherein you mimic nature’s healing effects, aka “bring nature in”.
- In your workplace, even if small: Add a living plant, a piece of nature-based art that inspires calm and triggers positive memories, or a simple bowl of stones or shells from a meaningful place that you might run your fingers through while on a phone or zoom call.
- In your garden, create a small corner for rest and reflection. A moveable, comfortable chair beneath a tree or in partial sunlight, a winding path that slows your pace, and fragrant plants and herbs you can touch and smell.
She helps people create Sanctuary spaces – inside and in gardens – that help people thrive and maximize the potential of Nature in their lives and style. These steps beautify your spaces while also promoting a stronger sense of well-being within – the “inner landscape” of you, as she likes to say.
And Annie also states that the research supports these “positive nature design influences”.
- Being in connection with nature reduces stress hormones and supports nervous system repair. Research has shown that spending just 20 minutes in a natural environment can lower your cortisol levels and ease blood pressure.
- Time in green spaces improves mood and reduces anxiety. Studies from the University of Michigan for instance reveal that walking in nature reduces rumination — the repetitive, negative thought cycles that fuel stress and depression.
- Daily exposure to natural elements increases immune function and heart health. Forest bathing studies in Japan demonstrate increased natural killer cell activity (our body’s disease-fighting cells) after time spent among trees.
Here are some ways you can benefit from the healing power of Mother Nature and be open to how nature can take care of you:
Walk in nature
Garden
Bring cut flowers into your home
Have indoor plants
Eat whole, unprocessed foods
If you would like more information about how you can reap more benefits from the healing power of your garden and interior spaces, contact Annie Kirk at her Red Bird company for all things sanctuary design and healing in nature. Her latest article goes into more detail of how Mother Nature helps create more joy in people’s life.
If you need more support for your stress management and well-being, you can also seek psychotherapy. Your own self care efforts in nature combined with the help of a professional can maximize your benefit.
