Last week was a Bank Holiday Weekend in the UK. Although the weather was quite hit-and-miss, I managed to go out to some local forests and woods over the weekend.
I must admit that I’ve never really paid that much attention to nature previously. I’ve grown up in cities, and tended to relegate visiting ‘green spaces’ to a walk at the city park or when on holiday to see the local exotic scenery. So I wasn’t really sure what I was going to get from popping out of the city to my local forest.
Perhaps it’s an added effect of the lockdown, but I found the opportunity to find silence in a forest unbelievably nourishing. Having spent most of my life in the space of a small apartment over the last six months, the freedom and release from covid-style living was extremely revitalising.
I found something reassuring in looking at the big tall trees all around me. It sounds a little silly in some senses, but the fact there are whole woodlands that have survived hundreds of years puts my own life in perspective. After all, the world is not going to end if I miss my close-of-play deadline, nor is our current situation under lockdown going to last forever either. Life will go on.
The fact that there was a whole ecosystem of life around me – the birds, animals, plants and bugs – also made me realise that the world doesn’t revolve around me either. My obsessions on my wants and needs aren’t all that important in the grand scheme of things!
I am someone who tends to find my burnout zone is when my mind is constantly looking for stimulation, including often when sleeping or just as I wake up. Unfortunately the lockdown has exacerbated my use of technology and social media, which has meant I am often over-stimulated, with little opportunity to release it.
I found going way outside of my usual habitat to a forest give me a massive piece of perspective on my life. I’ve also found I appreciate nature far more than I ever previously have because of it. With Spring coming and better weather (hopefully), it’s something I will look to do far more often, as I’m currently quite fortunate to be able to jump on public transport to do so.
So if you’re in need of some revitalisation, I would really recommend going out to take some nature. I realise not all of us can easily access big woodlands or natural spaces, but even going out to the park and popping in some headphones to play forest sounds can imitate the immersive experience.
When was the last time you popped out for a spot of nature for your wellbeing?