Like many others at the height of COVID-19 lockdowns, I was suddenly working remotely, socially distancing from family and friends, and leaving the house only for trips to the grocery store. I craved the ability to get out and escape the overbearing presence screens had in my life.
That‘s when I discovered my love of camping. Weekend camping trips let me take advantage of the gorgeous freshwater springs, trails and nature preserves in my area.
I felt the difference almost immediately — out in the woods I wasn’t scrambling for my phone or thinking about work deadlines. My attention span seemed to lengthen and level out. I relaxed. I came home feeling rested and a little more cheerful, and these trips became a way to manage the stress of the pandemic.
Aside from a nice weekend getaway, what I was actually experiencing were the benefits of nature on my mental health — something researchers and healthcare providers have long noted.
“There are many studies that demonstrate how spending time in nature can improve mood, lower anxiety, and improve cognition and memory,” says Mayo Clinic nurse practitioner Jodie M. Smith, APRN., C.N.P., D.N.P., M.S.N. “Making time for nature is important in order for us to maintain resiliency and promote self-care in a world that demands a lot from us.”
Below, Smith discusses exactly why nature is so good for your mental health.
How does nature benefit mental health?
First and foremost, Smith says that nature can be an effective tool to manage stress.
“Stress stimulates our sympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for increasing our blood pressure, heart rate and blood sugar in order to react to a stimulus that is causing us stress,” says Smith.
And while not all stress is bad — for example, stress can motivate you to meet a work deadline or keep an eye on your kids at the pool — prolonged or chronic exposure to stress can chip away at your emotional and mental well-being.
But nature may be able to combat stress and its effects. For example, one study showed that exposure to nature can regulate the sympathetic nervous system in as little as five minutes.
“This means that we can get an almost immediate benefit from stepping outside,” says Smith. And doing so on a recurrent basis may prevent cumulative effects from stress, which could mean a lower risk for chronic disease, illness and mortality.”
Even for those without serious mental health conditions, nature may help you manage emotions like loneliness, irritability and possibly even road rage.
Finally, there is evidence that nature exposure is associated with better cognitive function — like memory, attention, creativity and sleep quality.
But perhaps the best part is that nature makes it easy to soak in these benefits.
“Being present in nature doesn’t ask or require anything of us, so it frees up our mind to think more deeply and clearly about things,” says Smith.
Next time you’re outside, take a moment to listen, touch, smell. Notice the environment around you and simply be present
Root Yourself in Nature
Walk barefoot in the grass. Go hug a tree, it will feed off your negative energy and recycle it into positive energy. Sit a while and listen to the birds. Nature knows how to raise energy effortlessly—follow her lead.
So here we are, at the edge of a new season, not just in nature, but in spirit. Let’s leave behind what no longer serves and step into what’s possible.
Somebody asked me recently what do I think about the people out there who are seen as failures by their peers. (The definition of failure can be different from one person to another). I know that there are people who are being very patient while working on themselves, or an important project that hopefully will result in them achieving their dreams. They do this silently and diligently. They may appear to be failing but, they the are far from failing and diligently working towards their goal.
Beware of judging others. Because you never how things will turn out. I have seen this happen so many times. May I leave you with this, “Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan “press on” has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race ” Calvin Coolidge.
Blessings and Love... Carol Anne..
You are powerful. You are needed. And you are never alone.
Once upon a time, there was a small town. There lived a man by himself who couldn’t see. He was blind. Yet, he carried a lighted lamp with him whenever he went out at night.
One night as he was coming home after having a dinner outside, he came across a group of young travellers. They saw that he was blind, yet carrying a lighted lamp. They started passing comments on him and made a fun of him. One of them asked him, “Hey Man! You are blind and can’t see anything! Why do you carry the lamp then?!”
The blind man replied, “Yes, unfortunately, I am blind and I can’t see anything but a lighted lamp which I am carrying is for the people like you who can see. You may not see the blind man coming and end up pushing me. That is why I carry a lighted lamp”.
The group of travellers felt ashamed and apologized for their behaviour.
Moral: We should think before judging others. Always be polite and learn to see things from others point of view.
“Love life and life will love you back. Love people and they will love you back.”
― Arthur Rubinstein
“Sometimes angels sing to you in the wind. All you have to do is listen.” – Anonymous
If the mountain seems too big today then climb a hill instead. If the morning brings you sadness it's ok to stay in bed. If the day ahead weighs heavy and your plans feel like a curse, there's no shame in rearranging, don't make yourself feel worse. If the shower stings like needles and a bath feels like you'll drown, and you haven't washed your hair for days don't throw away your crown. A day is not a lifetime a rest is not defeat. Don't think of it as failure just a quiet, kind retreat. It's ok to take a moment from an anxious, fractured mind the world will not stop turning while you get realigned. The mountain will still be there when you want to try again. You can climb it in your own time, just love yourself till then.Listen to the wind, it talks. Listen to the silence, it speaks. Listen to your heart, it knows..
Have a Beautiful Weekend ..Beautiful Soul...Love and Blessings
1. Treat the Earth and all that dwell therein with respect 2. Remain close to the Great Spirit 3. Show great respect for your fellow beings 4. Work together for the benefit of all Mankind 5. Give assistance and kindness wherever needed 6. Do what you know to be right 7. Look after the well-being of Mind and Body 8. Dedicate a share of your efforts to the greater Good 9. Be truthful and honest at all times 10. Take full responsibility for your actions
“Wherever forests have not been mowed down, wherever the animal is recessed in their quiet protection, wherever the earth is not bereft of four-footed life – that to the white man is an ‘unbroken wilderness.’
But for us there was no wilderness, nature was not dangerous but hospitable, not forbidding but friendly. Our faith sought the harmony of man with his surroundings; the other sought the dominance of surroundings.
All life is a circle. The atom is a circle, orbits are circles, the earth, moon, and sun are circles. The seasons are circles. The cycle of life is a circle: baby, youth, adult, elder. The sun gives life to the earth who feeds life to the trees whose seeds fall to the earth to grow new trees. We need to practice seeing the cycles that the Great Spirit gave us because this will help us more in our understanding of how things operate. We need to respect these cycles and live in harmony with them.”
― Rolling Thunder
For us, the world was full of beauty; for the other, it was a place to be endured until he went to another world.
“A mother’s wisdom is a sacred gift, passed down through generations.
"Why are you crying?" a little boy asked his Mother.
"Because I'm a Mother," she told him.
"I don't understand," he said.
His mom just hugged him tightly and said, "You never will!"
Later the boy asked his father why Mother seemed to cry for no reason.
"All mothers cry for no reason," was all his Dad could say.
The little boy grew up and became a man, still wondering why mothers cry. So he finally put in a call to God.
When he got God on the phone the man asked, "God, why do mothers cry so easily?"
God said, "You see, when I made mothers, they had to be special. I made their shoulders strong enough to carry the weight of the world, yet gentle enough to give comfort. I gave them an inner strength to endure childbirth and the rejection that many times come from their children."
"I gave them a hardiness that allows them to keep going when everyone else gives up, and to take care of their families through sickness and fatigue without complaining."
"I gave them the sensitivity to love their children under all circumstances, even when their child has hurt them very badly. This same sensitivity helps them to make a child's boo-boo feel better, and helps them share a teenagers anxieties and fears."
"I gave them a tear to shed. It's theirs exclusively to use whenever it's needed. It's their only weakness. It's a tear for mankind.
Somebody's Mother
The woman was old and ragged and gray, And bent with the chill of a winter's day; The streets were white with a recent snow, And the woman's feet with age were slow.
At the crowded crossing she waited long, Jostled aside by the careless throng Of human beings who passed her by, Unheeding the glance of her anxious eye.
Down the street with laughter and shout, Glad in the freedom of 'school let out,' Come happy boys, like a flock of sheep, Hailing the snow piled white and deep; Past the woman, so old and gray, Hastened the children on their way.
None offered a helping hand to her, So weak and timid, afraid to stir, Lest the carriage wheels or the horses feet Should trample her down in the slippery street.
At last came out a merry troop The gayest boy of all the group; He paused beside her and whispered low, 'I'll help you cross, if you wish to go.'
Her aged hand on his strong young arm She placed, and so without hurt or harm he guided the trembling feet along, Proud that his own were young and strong; Then back again to his friends he went, His young heart happy and well content.
'She's somebody's mother, boys, you know, For all she's aged, and poor and slow; And some one, some time, may lend a hand To help my mother- you understand?- If ever she's old and poor and gray, And her own dear boy so far away.'
'Somebody's mother' bowed low her head In her home that night, and the prayer she said Was: 'God be kind to that noble boy, Who is somebody's son and pride and joy.
~ Mary Dow Brine
In Native American cultures, mothers are regarded as the keepers of ancestral knowledge. They pass down their wisdom, traditions, and values to ensure the preservation of their heritage.
On this Mother’s Day, let us honor and cherish the Mothers in our lives. Their love, strength, and wisdom are priceless gifts that deserve our gratitude and respect.
“A mother’s wisdom is a sacred gift, passed down through generations.
"Why are you crying?" a little boy asked his Mother.
"Because I'm a Mother," she told him.
"I don't understand," he said.
His mom just hugged him tightly and said, "You never will!"
Later the boy asked his father why Mother seemed to cry for no reason.
"All mothers cry for no reason," was all his Dad could say.
The little boy grew up and became a man, still wondering why mothers cry. So he finally put in a call to God.
When he got God on the phone the man asked, "God, why do mothers cry so easily?"
God said, "You see, when I made mothers, they had to be special. I made their shoulders strong enough to carry the weight of the world, yet gentle enough to give comfort. I gave them an inner strength to endure childbirth and the rejection that many times come from their children."
"I gave them a hardiness that allows them to keep going when everyone else gives up, and to take care of their families through sickness and fatigue without complaining."
"I gave them the sensitivity to love their children under all circumstances, even when their child has hurt them very badly. This same sensitivity helps them to make a child's boo-boo feel better, and helps them share a teenagers anxieties and fears."
"I gave them a tear to shed. It's theirs exclusively to use whenever it's needed. It's their only weakness. It's a tear for mankind.
Somebody's Mother
The woman was old and ragged and gray, And bent with the chill of a winter's day; The streets were white with a recent snow, And the woman's feet with age were slow.
At the crowded crossing she waited long, Jostled aside by the careless throng Of human beings who passed her by, Unheeding the glance of her anxious eye.
Down the street with laughter and shout, Glad in the freedom of 'school let out,' Come happy boys, like a flock of sheep, Hailing the snow piled white and deep; Past the woman, so old and gray, Hastened the children on their way.
None offered a helping hand to her, So weak and timid, afraid to stir, Lest the carriage wheels or the horses feet Should trample her down in the slippery street.
At last came out a merry troop The gayest boy of all the group; He paused beside her and whispered low, 'I'll help you cross, if you wish to go.'
Her aged hand on his strong young arm She placed, and so without hurt or harm he guided the trembling feet along, Proud that his own were young and strong; Then back again to his friends he went, His young heart happy and well content.
'She's somebody's mother, boys, you know, For all she's aged, and poor and slow; And some one, some time, may lend a hand To help my mother- you understand?- If ever she's old and poor and gray, And her own dear boy so far away.'
'Somebody's mother' bowed low her head In her home that night, and the prayer she said Was: 'God be kind to that noble boy, Who is somebody's son and pride and joy.
~ Mary Dow Brine
In Native American cultures, mothers are regarded as the keepers of ancestral knowledge. They pass down their wisdom, traditions, and values to ensure the preservation of their heritage.
On this Mother’s Day, let us honor and cherish the Mothers in our lives. Their love, strength, and wisdom are priceless gifts that deserve our gratitude and respect.
“A mother’s wisdom is a sacred gift, passed down through generations.”
In Native American cultures, mothers are regarded as the keepers of ancestral knowledge. They pass down their wisdom, traditions, and values to ensure the preservation of their heritage.
On this Mother’s Day, let us honor and cherish the Native American mothers in our lives. Their love, strength, and wisdom are priceless gifts that deserve our gratitude and respect.
Finding Inner Peace Midst the New World To find inner and true peace can be a challenge for more than one reason. Our society is more connected than ever before, but this connection doesn’t always provide the comfort that we crave. We are constantly bombarded with news updates, social media posts, and instant messaging alerts which perpetuate our feelings of never being “good enough”. At the same time, it can be hard to step away from all of this noise because of how much work needs to get done. Don't listen when your heart , worn and tired, tells you to give up. Don't give up! Your heart needs a rest and nourishment. In God , there is rest for all who are exhausted; in his promises there is enough food for the weary soul. Spend your time on this earth loving not judging. Sending Love and Blessings to all .
Nothing of great value has ever be attained without
a great battle, Do not let adversity rob you of life's
riches yet to be discovered.. Let faith. hope, and love be your constant companions and fill your soul with encouragement. You are awesome my friend .Love and Blessings
©GettyImages
