How does being in nature make you feel?

IF YOU SCORED MAINLY ♥

Inspired

When you’re seeking more meaning or sense of purpose, connecting with nature can help shift your perspective to the bigger picture. Using time in nature to connect you with a sense of awe can also help balance the mind’s natural negativity bias, and increase a sense of gratitude. Time outdoors helps you connect with the seasons, too, and the cycle of regrowth and regeneration that is part of life. It’s a reminder that, however challenging things feel right now, by adapting and accepting rather than resisting, we can survive and thrive.

You don’t have to wait until your holiday to tap into the transcendent power of nature – it’s all in the detail. Think ‘wonder as you wander’, by noticing the tiniest details – the contrast between light and shade, the patterns of the bark on ancient trees, the movement of the clouds in the sky.

We need to make space for new ideas to take root, so factor in at least one walk a week where you unplug from podcasts, music, or conversation, and instead focus on what’s around, including appreciating the beauty and resilience of nature in all its forms. Reminding ourselves of just how small we – and our problems – are in the vast universe, can be the inspiration we need to take a chance on new things.

IF YOU SCORED MAINLY N Grounded

If you often find yourself craving calm, or wish you had more days when you felt grounded and connected to what really matters, upgrading the quality of the time you spend in nature may provide the shift you’re needing right now.

It’s easy to spend time outdoors on autopilot, or to use it as a way of spending time with others. But, right now, you’ll most benefit from spending at least some time in nature on your own, so you can really tune into the stillness, and connect with your own inner calm.

If your tendency is to live mainly in your head, spending time in nature can also be a much-needed way of paying attention to your physical self. Finding the ground beneath your feet may even be the first step to finding a new direction in life. You’ll get the most benefit by focusing your mind on the here and now, and being as present as you can while you walk. Don’t give yourself a hard time if you can’t leave your emotional baggage behind. But when you become aware that you have got caught up in thinking, gently direct your focus outwards by noticing the colours, textures, sounds, smells, and sensations around you. We can all benefit from a daily grounding ritual, but for chronic over-thinkers, it can be life-changing.

IF YOU SCORED MAINLY ● Stretched

Thinking about how to spend more time outdoors can be a powerful way to disrupt your daily routine when you feel you’ve got stuck in a rut. Sometimes the smallest shifts can create a ripple effect that makes change happen. Spending time outdoors connecting with the wilder side of nature could be what you need right now to help you reconnect with a braver self.

Often, it’s the labels we put on ourselves – such as ‘not the outdoorsy type’ or ‘too busy’ – that are the main barriers to us connecting with nature. But shaking up your routine doesn’t need to be complicated-or-time-consuming–it-can-beas simple as putting down your phone, wrapping up, and sitting in the garden with your cup of tea. The key is thinking of ways to step out of autopilot, such as doing your usual park walk backwards, or leaving the car and walking the couple of miles to meet a friend. And, remember, sometimes the benefits of a challenge are felt after the event. When you have more time, an adventure further afield can show you what you’re capable of, mentally and physically. Stay open and curious about the transformative power of nature’s challenges, and you can tap into an unlimited source of new experiences to grow your confidence.

IF YOU SCORED MAINLY ■ Soothed

Sometimes, if you feel a little out of kilter, or if life feels a little uncertain right now, a yearning to connect with green spaces comes from a need to self-nurture. If your focus is usually on supporting others, you may overlook your own need to feel looked-after at times. And even if you know that spending time in green spaces has a therapeutic effect, you may still feel sceptical that just being outdoors will really help soothe your nervous system, or boost your mood when you feel low.

Negative emotions can feel so overpowering that’s it’s not surprising that we’re convinced it will take something far more significant than a walk to shift them. But you lose nothing by committing to spend time in a green space every day for ten days, then checking in with how you feel at the end. Think of it as a daily wellbeing prescription.

For best effects, jot down how you feel before and after time in a green space. Time outdoors can be great for thinking things over, but be sure to also bring your attention back to the here and now at regular intervals, and really notice what’s around you. The solace of nature isn’t a quick-fix, but the accumulated effects can help sustain you through life’s challenges.