Mental Health Awareness Week: How I connected with nature and asked for help
Warning: this post can be triggering, but we felt it important to share it exactly as the author intended it to be read.
'There is something to be wondered at in all of Nature'
-Aristotle
This week is mental health awareness week and the theme is nature, which is pretty apt for the year everyone has had! Covid smacked us all in the face and effected a lot of people’s health. We were quarantined, isolated, separated from friends and loved ones and unable to leave the house for a long time unless it was to stand 6 foot away from someone in a queue outside of Aldi. When we were finally allowed out it was for exercise and we were limited to an hour outside! During lockdown going for walks became a huge coping mechanism for many people, it was an outlet and an escape from the home.
Connecting with nature doesn’t need to be visiting a National Trust or relaxing in your garden. These are luxuries that not everybody has access to. But you can still connect with and benefit from it. Whether that is going for a walk, reading a book in a local park or outside space, growing your own plants or treating yourself to some flowers! As adults we know how it can benefit us and children as well. As a primary school teacher I always notice how energised, happy and at ease the children are when they are engaged in Forest School sessions, exploring outdoors or learning outdoors. It’s like they realise the benefits from it before we as adults do! Raise your hand if your child has ever acted up in the house so you decide to get them out for a bit of fresh air... I know I’ve had to abandon plans multiple times to just get my toddler outside to calm down! It works!
There still seems to be stigma around mental health but we take preventative methods in regards to our physical health and we should be doing the same for our mental health. There is no use in waiting until there is a problem we should be taking precautionary steps to prevent issues arising (I understand it isn't always that easy).
The mental health foundation have created 7 top tips for connecting with nature, all of which are beneficial to our mental health.
https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/campaigns/mental-health-awareness-week/tips
All of these ways of connecting with nature can help;
improving your mood
reduces feelings of stress or anger
help you take time out and feel more relaxed
improve your physical health
improve your confidence and self-esteem
help you be more active
help you make new connections
provide peer support. (Mind; 2018)
Mental health and taking care of yourself has really taken centre stage since the beginning of 2020 and at the end of last year I did something that I don’t usually do. I reached out and asked for help! I was lucky enough to stumble across Black Minds Matter UK on Instagram. Their mission is to connect Black individuals and families with free mental health services — by professional Black therapists to support their mental health. I was matched with an amazing therapist, a woman in Birmingham, who has been supporting me and working with me since the beginning of the year. And it’s been great! I feel like I’ve made a lot of progress and feel like I’m in a much better place than I was. Yes I still get good days and bad but overall I’m happy! It’s important to share my reality with you, know that if you’re feeling some type of way, you are not alone!
Looking after you and your families mental health is really important and all of the above can help. Things like talking to others about how you’re feeling, sleep, having a healthy diet and exercise can be really helpful! What’s your go-to in nature that helps to uplift you? For me it's the beach, Sand Bay in particular, who doesn't feel with good with the sea breeze on your face?