A natural approach to mental health
Take some time outside to reap its benefits, relieve pressures of 2020
It’s no coincidence that Mental Health Awareness Day falls on Nov. 4. This can be a challenging time of year for mental health, and the ongoing pandemic does not help.
If you find yourself feeling down, here are a few happiness suggestions to consider.
1) Awe Walks in Nature: We already know that spending time in nature benefits our mental and emotional health.
Many studies demonstrate this, including the report “Green City: Why Nature Matters to Health — an Evidence Review.” This report found a consistent relationship between exposure to green space and improved mental health.
How exactly do we find “green space” in November, you might ask? Right now, things are more brown and bare than green. A 2020 study published in the journal Emotion demonstrates that the benefits of time spent in nature have more to do with our intentions than the seasons.
This study compared two groups of adults. Both groups were asked to take 15 minute walks every day for eight weeks. The first group was given no instructions about how to take those walks, but the second group was told to find “awe” or “wonder” in their natural surroundings.
That second group demonstrated “greater joy” and “measurably broader smiles” than the first group. The second group also demonstrated “greater decreases in daily distress over time” as well as greater increases in positive emotions and feelings of social connection.
Two great ways to enjoy awe walks at this time of year are by wondering at silence and darkness.
There is something soothing about the silence of a forest or wetland in late fall. The leafless trees are quiet. Most songbirds have migrated. The frogs are hibernating.
In his lovely book “Nature’s Year in the Kawarthas,” local naturalist Drew Monkman describes November beautifully as a “hush upon the land.” I think that silence is a gift, especially in troubled times.
In 2011, the World Health Organization reported on a 10year study of noise in Western Europe. They concluded that “there is overwhelming evidence that exposure to environmental noise has adverse effects on the health of the population,” including cardiovascular disease, cognitive impairment in children, sleep disturbance, tinnitus, and annoyance.
That WHO study ranked traffic noise as second only to air pollution among environmental threats to public health.
Take some time to get away from traffic noise. Go for a bike ride (or drive) away from busy roads for a quiet hike and be in
awe of the silence and peacefulness.
Like noise pollution, light pollution can also adversely affect our health by disrupting our sleep. Luckily in Peterborough we can more easily enjoy darkness than our big-city neighbours closer to Toronto. Stargazing is good even in backyards and parks just outside downtown Peterborough.
The night sky is awesome right now. After the time change, clear evenings are perfect for awe walks in a nearby park. Stop, look up, and feel awe at the billions of stars in the Milky Way.
2) Feed the Birds: Another way you can experience awe in nature at this time of year is by connecting with birds in your backyard or nearby nature areas.
The black-capped chickadee is a great bird to connect with at this time of year and throughout the winter. You can learn more about this bird in the “Bird of the Month” profile at pathwayproject.ca/blog.
Jacob Rodenberg, executive director of Camp Kawartha, recently wrote a guest blog about “Bird Whispering” for Ontario Nature, sharing how you can talk with chickadees. If you want to get really close, check out the Camp Kawartha Facebook page and find the video from March 27 called Nature
Notes with Jacob: Chickadees. In this video, Jacob shows how you can feed chickadees from your hand.
3) Get cosy: Maybe you remember the concept of “hygge” (pronounced “hoo-guh”) from a January 2019 Green UP column.
The CEO of the Happiness Research Institute, Meik Wiking, explains the benefits of “hygge” like so: “Hygge is about an atmosphere and an experience, rather than about things. It is about being with the people we love, a feeling of home, and a feeling that we are safe and shielded from the world so we can allow ourselves to let our guard down.”
We have had our guard up against COVID-19 for months. We may not be able to gather with all the people we love, but we can still do simple things in our spaces to get cosy and enjoy some “hygge.”
Our natural neighbours are also getting cosy right now. I was excited to discover a fun Squirrel Nest Game in the Pathways Project e-newsletter last month. Visit pathwayproject.ca/blog and look for “Fall Fun!” In this game, you build nests of dry leaves and use a thermometer to see which one works best. We had lots of fun building and testing our nests.
4) Travel vicariously: With travel limited because of CO
VID-19, I’ve enjoyed following the journeys of different animals that call Ontario home during the summer but migrate elsewhere during our winter. Following these journeys vicariously also builds my appreciation for how important it is that we respect and protect local habitats, and how remarkably interconnected our global ecosystems are.
Each year, as we watch the milkweed grow and bloom, we marvel at the amazing metamorphosis and multi-generational migrations of monarch butterflies.
Last year I enjoyed travelling vicariously with the Monarch Ultra relay that followed the 4,000-plus-kilometre migratory path of monarch butterflies from Peterborough to the rare oyamel fir forests in the mountains of Mexico.
If you’re feeling wanderlust, take a scroll back through the 2019 dispatches of the Monarch Ultra. That journey is a remark
able celebration of a species unlike any other on this planet. It is also a celebration of sharing cultures and collective efforts to protect this species across three nations.
Enjoy your daily 15 minutes of awe in nature this November, and try to keep it going right through into 2021. I hope it brings you happiness and good health.
If you or someone you know is in crisis or needs help, the Four County Crisis Line is available 24 hours a day/seven days a week: 705-745-6484 or toll-free 1-866-996-0991.
The Four County Crisis Line provides free, confidential mental health crisis intervention support over the phone, for people 16 years and over. They will assist you in dealing with an immediate crisis, and provide support and referrals to appropriate resources.