Nature and your mental health
April 3, 2020
Video: Spread Joy, Not the Virus
April 10, 2020
1. Read or listen to “The Peace of Wild Things” by Wendell Berry.
When despair for the world grows in me
and I wake in the night at the least sound
in fear of what my life and my children’s lives may be,
I go and lie down where the wood drake
rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds.
I come into the peace of wild things
who do not tax their lives with forethought
of grief. I come into the presence of still water.
And I feel above me the day-blind stars
waiting with their light. For a time
I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.
2. Make a nature-based craft.
- Earlier this week we demonstrated how you can use natural materials found in your backyard to make a leaf rubbing and a natural picture frame. Check out that video here or the websites below for more ideas.
- Adults: https://www.bhg.com/crafts/easy/30-minute-projects/quick-nature-crafts/
- Kids: https://www.howweelearn.com/breathtaking-nature-crafts-for-kids/
3. Start a nature-based ritual.
- Small routines can remind us to take pause and be more present in the moment. It doesn’t take much to remind us of the importance of nature for our mental health and societal well-being. Here are a few examples for how you can integrate a nature based ritual into your routine:
- Be outside at some point during sunset every day for a week
- When you wake up, go outside and look up at the sky before looking at a screen
- Pick a plant in your neighborhood to “adopt.” Whenever you pass it, take a close look at it and try to notice any changes or unique characteristics.
4. Check out our resident biologist’s blog about outdoor life in our region.
5. Try a new trail.
- Go to the Carolina Thread Trail Map website to find a new trail in our region.
- Physical distance-friendly trails include: