Nature for Wellbeing

We are really excited to introduce our first guest blog post, kindly submitted by Jeni Bell, from Seeking Wild Sights.

Jeni is a keen blogger and photographer of all things wild. She is currently living in a van and travelling the UK with her other half and rather neurotic Jack Russell. Passionate about nature close to home, she is a firm believer that nature is everywhere, not just in far flung locations or well-manicured nature reserves – it's about being aware of what’s around you wherever you are. She is happiest whilst out walking with a camera and a pair of binos.

"I spend a lot of time in front of screens, whether that’s my laptop, writing, or my phone, checking in with social media, planning routes for our camper van trips, or just replying to emails. It’s all-consuming and completely addictive. The glare from the screen, the tapping of keyboards, the ringtones and voicemails – it’s draining.

I’ve found myself sucked in on more than one occasion, engrossed in the instance of it all and the
need to get those to-do lists checked off. I get this tunnel vision, where it seems as though I’m
wearing blinkers and I completely lose my sense of my peripheral. Sounds become muffled like I’m
underwater, and the pressure builds in my ears until my whole head feels like it’s being crushed. My
head swims, my eyes hurt, and the room closes in on me until it’s just me and a device and a
deadline. If I don’t catch it quickly it spreads and becomes the norm. The next day starts in a zombie-like state, and it begins to spiral out of control until I find myself in my pyjamas for the next week with only a glimmer of sunlight through the window.

There are warning signs though, before it spins out of control. As well as a noticeable tension in my
shoulders, there’s an urge. The urge to feel the cool of the grass on bare feet, warm sunlight flushing
my cheeks or to place my hands on a tree trunk, with the rough bark against the flat of my palm. Some urges are worth giving into. I try to take regular breaks and get outdoors, and if I start to feel that zombified sensation I immediately stop what I’m doing, save my work and step away from the technology. Getting outside instantly helps; the breeze on my face refreshes me, and helps to snap me out of my groggy state, but sometimes just time spent by an open window is a suitable substitute. You can find nature almost anywhere if you’re willing to look.

The transition between inside and outside is always notable; it seems to melt onto my skin, and I can
feel the tension start slip out of my upper body. The first thing that filters through my brain fog is bird song. It’s actually one thing I always try to find wherever I am – if the work load is big or I’m just feeling low, I find it helps to focus on what sounds I can hear. I take my brain space away from glowing screens, shut my eyes and tune in to nature's soundtrack. At first, it’s all a jumble, there’s cars, people talking, planes overhead, dogs barking and wind rustling leaves and branches. But listen hard enough and it’s there, the delicate piping noise of birdsong. It’s such a relief when I pick up on it, because it instantly makes me smile. It takes me back to when I was a child: warming spring mornings, as the sun rises and dawn chorus floats in through my bedroom window. Bird song will always bring me a sense of comfort and happiness, and connecting to that makes it easier to get through whatever task is at hand. The more I listen to it, the more I’m able to pick out different songs and calls: perhaps it’s the treble of a wren, the chattering of a sparrow or the flutey bold notes of a blackbird. For me, picking the sounds apart is an effective mindfulness exercise.

Being mindful of one thing allows the rest of my senses to open up. I get my peripheral vision back
and become aware of the colours that surround me, the scent of flowers and earth, the taste of
fresh air in my lungs. It inspires me to get up and be active, to stretch my legs and take it all in, which
is important because sometimes I get so caught up in my work routine of laptops and coffee that I
barely exercise, which leads me into even more of a zombie slump.

Nature for me is essential because it keeps me healthy, it breaks up my routine and offers me a way
to stay active, mindful and connected. I have always turned to nature because it has always been a
constant for me, it’s something that has always been there for me and something that has always
been effective. It’s free, and it doesn’t require a prescription, it’s just there and no matter where I
am, I can find evidence of it somewhere – whether that’s my bird song, a huge wild space, or a tiny
plant fighting its way through a crack in the pavement. And I usually find that, afterwards, when I sit back down to meet my deadline, I’m much more inspired."

We hope you enjoyed our first guest post as much as we did!

You can follow Jeni's blog and find out more at www.seekingwildsights.co.uk
or follow her adventures on Instagram: @seekingwildsights