The Best Ways to Spend Time in Nature

Make a date with Mother Nature to boost your health, wellbeing and happiness

Hi, I’m Sue and I write about the beauty and ingenuity of Nature, and how we can deepen our connection for our optimum health and wellbeing. Discover more Nature-inspired content on Spiral Leaf, Twitter and my video Nature Channel.

It's easy to forget sometimes how much we depend on Nature, not only for life-essential resources such as fresh air, clean water, comfortable shelter and healthy food, but also for the calming and restorative qualities that boost our health, wellbeing and happiness.

Living in a man-made world surrounded by synthetic products with continuous exposure to the harmful electromagnetic fields of electronic devices has been proven to cause adverse effects on our health and this can take its toll. Spending time in Nature is the best way to counter these harmful effects and bring us back into balance where our mind, body and soul can function more effectively and carry out the work it needs to do to keep us well.

To realise such benefits means engaging all our senses so that we can feel and absorb the energy of natural things. The rhythmic patterns in Nature, such as the gentle flow of a stream or the rustling of leaves, have a soothing effect on mind, body and soul. These rhythmic experiences resonate within us, reminding us of the cyclical nature of life, and offering us the opportunity to let go of stressful burdens and emotional blockages.

This means breathing it in and enjoying how relaxing and comforting it feels. When we tune into the hum of a bee, a Robin's song, a river flowing, a breeze blowing or a view that draws us in, we feel at one with life itself and we experience the freedom and joy of living in the moment.

There are many ways to tune in and connect with Nature which I want to share with you here. Some might not be immediately obvious and I hope you feel inspired to find ways to weave more life-giving moments into your day.

RELAXATION & HEALING

Meditative walking

When you need to completely wind down and relax, meditative walking is a great way to lose yourself in time and blend into the calming effect of the natural environment. You can do this by focusing on your steps and feeling the natural rhythm of breathing deeply in and out as you continue on your way.

As you breathe gently in, imagine your body being vitalised by the fresh air; as you breathe gently out, imagine all the stresses and strains leaving you and melting away. Allow your mind roam freely so that it can process anything that needs to be worked through. A good meditative walk is like a therapy session where unhelpful thoughts can be cleared away and replaced with vital natural energy.

Observational sitting 

A good way to practice observational sitting is to allocate regular breaks and/or times during the day to simply be still and observe the natural world (or natural things) around you as a focused exercise.

Anything made in Nature can provide an interesting focal point for our attention whether it's a bright coloured flower with tiny petals, a ladybird walking on a leaf or a stunning view of rolling hills, hedgerows and fields stretching out into the distance.

Taking time to appreciate Nature is not only very humbling (reminding us we are an integral part of the natural world) but also very rewarding. I am always surprised to notice things I haven't noticed before through the seasons which opens the door to a whole new world ready to explore.

Focused listening

Tuning into the calming, melodic and tranquil sounds of the great outdoors alters connections in our brain that reduce our body’s natural fight-or-flight instinct. The sounds of Nature distract our attention away from day-to-day anxiety and worries, easing out tensions and returning us to a state of equilibrium and calm.

The next time you spend time in Nature, listen out for the arresting caws of crows, the melodic harmonies of birds as they call out to each other, the gentle sound of leaves rustling in the breeze or the microscopic sound of a lone bird chipping away at a fallen hazelnut.

When you make a conscious choice to listen, it can seem like a symphony of harmonious vibrations coming from the air, the vegetation and the earth around you.

My favourite is to listen to a bird singing and whistle softly after them. I once got into an exchange with a particular bird who seemed to wait for my whistle before sending out a reply. The bird gradually made the notes more difficult and it seemed like it was playing a game of play that tune with me. It was delightful and brought a smile to my day.

Close watching

This is where it's helpful to have an obsession such as sketching, making notes or taking photographs. I have a camera phone so it can be a challenge but I have taken collections of wonderful close-ups of bees, butterflies, moths, ladybirds, spiders, snails, beetles and so on, some of which you can see in my Wildlife Gallery.

It means I am often found lying in the grass, waiting quietyly in a particular spot or disappearing into banks of wild plants to try and get the shot. When you look at wild things close up, you can't help but marvel at the beauty and perfection of Nature's design and creation. It is often the smallest and tiniest creatures that completely take my breath away and make me realise how blessed I am to be a living part of the natural world.

Reading books

Reading books about Nature is perhaps one of the most overlooked ways that we can connect with Mother Earth. Finding a comfortable place to sit and read is a perfect way to learn new things and escape to places that we might never be able to reach on foot or by other means. This is also ideal if you are unable to go outside for any reason or are confined in some way due to illness or disability.

Authors who write about Nature (generally speaking) are passionate about the natural world and provide a lens that can open up whole new worlds. I have learned so much from professional naturalists and ordinary people who have a passion for natural things. They inspire me to explore more for myself when I am out and about in the wild.

I have gathered a sizeable collection of books about Nature, Natural Health and Spirituality in my affiliate bookstore. Why not have a browse!

FUN & CREATIVITY

Collecting treasures

Collecting treasures is a great incentive to go for a walk or head out to explore a wild place close by. I highly recommend dedicating a large clear-glass vase or container, wide bowl or basket, to display the items you find through the seasons.

Look out for things like spent fir cones, empty acorn shells, crinkled leaves, fallen feathers, old twigs with lichen, clusters of dried berries, small pebbles and snails' shells. 

Another way to keep a collection is to create a Herborium which is a collection of dried plants, leaves, flowers or ferns which are dried and arranged in a scrap book with notes or sketches to name and describe the items contained therein.

You don’t need any special equipment except for a heavy book for pressing, a scrap book with tacky glue for sticking, and your favourite pen or pencil for writing down or drawing in the details. This is a wonderful exercise for children to enjoy and provides the incentive needed to go outside and look for things to bring home for this purpose.

Recording observations

Keeping a special Field Study Book is a nice way to jot down key information when you are on your walk or sitting outside. I am often noting down things that I cannot recognise so that I can look them up later on. I like to make a note of the things I find for writing poems and creating videos - creative pursuits I find particularly relaxing and enjoyable for my own benefit as well as for the work I do.

There are lots of things you can record such as date and time, location and terrain, temperature and weather conditions, historical information and anything else that might be of interest.

It’s a fantastic way to engage with your immediate natural environment and hone in on the details. It means you will have content to share, memories to recall and photographs and/or sketches to add to your collections.

Sketching scenes

Sketching is a good practice for all ages and has nothing to do with the end result. It’s all about the process — a process that improves our general well-being. For this reason it doesn't have to be a work of art although you will improve with practice. It can be a simple impression of a view that captures your eye or something simple like a flower with petals set in a certain way that pleases you.

Sketching requires an entire process of gathering together your drawing materials, choosing something to draw and settling down to examine your subject and let your creativity flow.

The health benefits of sketching (or painting) include strengthened focus and strategic thinking, improvement in general health and well-being, and development of communication skills and coordination.

Making artwork

Making artwork from things found in Nature is great fun and a wonderful way to get creative! You can create magnificent designs on the ground in wild open spaces using anything you can find from broken twigs, pebbles and stones, spent nut cases and shells, fallen leaves and dried ferns, fir cones and discarded bird feathers.

As long as you are not disturbing living things in any way or disturbing anyone's private space or ground, it's a cool way to get creative outside. Children in particular love this and will amaze you with their sense of invention and imagination. You can try coming up with smaller designs in your own garden or inside your home, depending on the space you have available.

Make a date

There are so many ways to connect with the natural world in ways that relax us and heighten our appreciation, sensitivity and creativity. All in all, these are healthy pursuits that serve to boost our health, wellbeing and happiness.

Why not make a date with Mother Nature and try out some of the ideas above? Whether you are on your own or spending time with friends and family, Nature is always there for you to enjoy at any time and in any weather.

Thank you for reading and look forward to seeing you again next week.