Tag: nature

Posted on

Finding Refuge In The Park

Green trees in park at golden hour

Forest Fuel: Nature Heals My Mental Health

If it’s not work then it’s being at home. If it’s not being at home, then it’s being stuck within your mind while at home. It’s fair to say that most people would agree that life has dramatically changed within the last couple of months and certainly not for the better. It sometimes feels like we have become prisoners to our own home; the rooms feel like they are closing in on us more every day.

But it’s our mind that is closing in on us. We start to become inpatient when spending so much time in the house: activities become repetitive, the news is getting old and going “virtual” is not at all exciting. The fact that we’ve reached a point in time that our government is telling us to stay home is quite worrisome.

They keep emphasizing “social distancing” repeatedly like we’re little kids who do not comprehend the first time around. But there is a reason that many of us do not comprehend social distancing and that’s because we are losing our mind by staying indoors all day. But one gem that remains available is our parks!

Finding refuge in the park is no exaggeration. It provides a calm and relaxing environment where we can sit on benches, jog on trails, walk on grass and converse with friends and family. Now that mother nature has rewarded us with the beauty of Spring, the park has become an even more pleasant place to retreat during this coronavirus pandemic.

The park is like a reset of your mental health throughout the day. Whether you are still working or casually relaxing within the comforts of your home, the park provides a beautiful opportunity to relieve your stress and connect with nature. Putting all medications aside, nature is still one of the best healers of mental health!

It helps you leave your hole which you call your “home” and allows you to release your thoughts into the wild, allowing the trees to scatter them away into the distance. The park welcomes you with a big hug provided by the sun rays and wind streams brushing away from the trees and on towards you; the park engulfs you with mental comfort!

If you are feeling sad and lonely during this COVID-19 catastrophe, remember that you are not alone! We all are. But don’t be afraid to leave your home and find a park to help heal your mental health. Don’t remain in your house for endless days at a time; you are ripping your mental health apart by doing that.

Let’s consciously connect together in the park!

Are you Ready? (This is Defeating Stigma Mindfully)

Advertisement
Posted on

Healed By Rain

Person holding umbrella while walking in the rain on sidewalk

Prescribed To Raindrops

We often seek therapy, medications, internet advice and other modern-day solutions to heal us from our emotional baggage and mental health issues. But how many of us utilize the power of rain to heal ourselves? The most natural water around, rain is the life force behind all things nature: plants, trees, flowers, animals and yes, humans.

So why don’t we utilize rain to heal us from our troubles? It is so soothing to sit around your house and become comfortable while listening to the falling raindrops outside your window; especially if you incorporate this during a meditative state. Just the sound of rain hitting the outside surroundings helps to relieve stress after a long day’s work.

Try to find a comfortable place in your home and just kick back while it’s raining outside. Read a book, meditate or talk to someone who can enter this relaxing state of mind with you; just enjoy the soothing sound of rain. You don’t always have to go for a jog or unwind with a glass of wine when feeling stressed.

Your potion is provided by nature itself; you just have to remember to use it. And the best part of it is that this medicine is completely free; nothing is more natural than rain. It doesn’t involve you smoking a joint, pouring a drink, popping a pill or snorting a line. It involves some patience, the will to relax and the desire to just be present in the moment, without any expectations.

Relieving stress or healing mental illness does not always come down to medications or psychotherapy. These simple things such as taking a stroll in a quiet place out in nature, or calmly listening to the raindrops outside your window are just as good! But many people don’t do these things because they’re too caught up in quick fixes.

There are no quick fixes and if you think there are, then you’re experiencing bandaids. To really heal yourself from stress and mental illness, sometimes you just have to spend some intimate time with nature and her beauty. And her beauty spreads naturally in the form of raindrops. It’s time for you to start tapping into this natural source of healing.

Are you Ready? (This is Defeating Stigma Mindfully)

Posted on

Planet Earth

Road going through forest during fall

Opening Up To Nature

With the hustle and bustle of city life, it becomes quite difficult to maintain an appreciation for nature. We become stuck in the realm of technology: playing video games for endless hours, surfing the web like maniacs, remaining glued to our iPhones or Samsungs, etc. Nature has almost become foreign to many.

But when you find yourself spending too much time in the technological realm, that is when you must push yourself the hardest to step out of this maze, and search for mother nature in your neck of the woods! The more you remain in a technological state of mind, the more difficult it will become to appreciate planet earth.

Planet earth is full of animals we have never heard of and sceneries beyond our wildest imagination. Sometimes these exotic natural beings and views can be observed in your local park; it doesn’t take a trip to the Grand Canyon to appreciate natural beauty. All of this can be done in your backyard.

But the question remains, “are you even curious to open up to nature?” For those living in the countryside, this may not be an issue as you are forced to deal with nature on a daily basis. But for all the city dwellers, your escape out of the city could be the natural environment nearby.

Nature and mental health are a great match! Escaping the city and allowing your mind to melt away in the comforts of a natural environment, can do wonders for your mental health. It makes a whole world of a difference when you don’t consistently hear sirens, people shouting, cars honking or even blinding lights.

The DSM Ready Movement is all about nature. Are you?

Are you Ready? (This is Defeating Stigma Mindfully)

Posted on

Sky View from Grass Level

Viewing the blue sky during daytime from grass level

A Free Natural Remedy

There are many times when your desire to be outside is through the roof; one more minute in your dungeon will drive you crazier than the obnoxious Subarus driving down your street. So you grab hold of a beach towel, some white Apple headphones and make your way out into nature; step #1 accomplished.

You allow the warm beams of the sun to penetrate your skin from all angles, while you lay on your beach towel making eye contact with the grass at ground level; you’ve officially landed. You slightly rotate your eyes toward the sky and come to the realization of what it feels like to view the world from grass level; step #2 accomplished.

You make a phone call or two; some people might answer, others may be busy studying while some don’t pick up. You hear the little kids playing in the playground nearby, the parents teaching the little leaguers how to properly hit a baseball and the birds chirping in the background; you are taking it all in and are already feeling much better about yourself. Step #3 accomplished.

Nature provides many wonderful experiences that you cannot obtain indoors. It is healing, therapeutic, relieving and natural; it connects you with a feeling of pure happiness. Any time that you are experiencing that grueling feeling of boredom or indoor disgust, do yourself a wonderful favor and head outdoors to spend time with nature; you will come back feeling splendid!

Are you Ready? (This is Defeating Stigma Mindfully)

Blog at WordPress.com.
%d bloggers like this: