The Happy Hub Draft

Practising mindfulness in the natural world
HOW SPENDING
TIME IN NATURE
COULD BENEFIT US ALL
NATURE AS THERAPY
Studies in ecotherapy reveal how being in and experiencing natural settings can lead to
better mental health and feeling more relaxed. Spending time in nature or even listening
to natural sounds has been found to have a positive effect on both our thought processes
and our bodies and a recent study suggested that spending two hours or more in natural
spaces every week is linked with a positive sense of wellbeing.
TAKE A MINDFUL WALK ON THE WILD SIDE
You don’t have to return from a walk caked in mud to benefit from the joy’s nature can bring either.
Use mindfulness to attend to the present moment. Let nature and the environment hold you. Pay
attention to your senses — what do you hear, see, or feel? What’s the temperature of your skin; what
can you smell? If you’re in a kitchen garden or allotment, what can you taste?
Perhaps focus on what’s going on around you — magpies roosting, grasses swaying in the breeze,
the rustle of birds in hedgerows. Notice things you ordinarily wouldn’t, intimately investigate a leaf
or flower or take a long calm walk amongst woodland (you could even try forest bathing, see the
website below for more information).
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Interested in forest bathing? See: https://www.forestryengland.uk/blog/forest-bathing
For inspiration and ideas on how to engage more with the natural world visit: https://www.mind.org.
uk/information-support/tips-for-everyday-living/nature-and-mental-health/ideas-to-try-in-nature/
Why taking care of your mental health could have physical benefits
ARE YOU
In terms of stress, through our own experiences as well as those of others
we all have a basic un-derstanding of what stress is and how it makes us
feel. For a more detailed understanding of stress and why some stress
is actually good for us visit https://www.stress.org.uk.
There is a clear link between stress and our immune system.
Psychoneuroimmunology is a growing area of research that
looks deeper into the connection between our mental and
emotional state, our nervous system, and our immune
If you’d like to know more about mindfulness and
hypnotherapy and how they could benefit you
contact Fran Dunning on 07973819867 or visit
https://www.francesdunning.com. Fran offers
free, weekly drop-in mindfulness sessions over
Zoom, so get in touch if you’d like to join in.