Our blog this week is written by one of our associates Jo Martyn. Jo has a passion for walking and nature and their positive impact on mental health. Check out her thoughts below…
‘As I am writing this, it is Mental Health Awareness Week in the UK, and the theme this year is Nature. The Mental Health Foundation are highlighting the benefits of connecting with nature and how important and beneficial this has been to people during the pandemic and recurrent lockdowns. Their research showed that going for walks outside was one of our key coping strategies and 45% of people reported that being in green spaces had been vital to their mental health during this time.
I can completely relate. During the past 5 years, connecting with nature through walking has been essential to my mental health, giving me more energy, a sense of control amidst uncertainty, greater connection, and an appreciation of simplicity. I am a Londoner, and I have been amazed to discover how much of nature there is to see, hear, smell, touch and even taste when out on walks in the city. Yesterday I walked in my local park, and savoured the sights of the green space, the blossom in the trees, and an Old English Sheepdog delightedly running after and catching a ball. I felt instantly calmer at the sound of birdsong and the River Quaggy flowing. I sat down in the peace garden and felt the sun warming my face. I touched the rough bark of a tree as I walked through the park, and imagined the taste of the wild blackberries that will be available for picking later on in the year, another of nature’s many gifts to us.
Walking is a multi-sensory experience. We just can’t experience nature in the same way when we are driving or on public transport. We have to be immersed in it and noticing it to really connect with it. This is why I created Urban Hikes for Mental Health. Urban hikes are for people aged 16+ who want to feel more connected to their surroundings, themselves and others. Each hike offers the opportunity to discover London’s urban and natural spaces on foot, connecting through each of your senses. You can explore and experience the connection between walking and wellbeing, participate in a mindfulness practice led by an experienced facilitator and engage in guided conversations on how to enhance your own mental health. Our July hike even includes an optional outdoor swim, which offers many mental and physical health benefits and of course, the opportunity to connect your whole mind and body with nature.
So I would encourage you, whether your setting is urban, rural, coastal or somewhere in between; to go out for a walk today and connect with nature using all of your senses. And then tell us about your experience.
Want to know more about urban hikes? If you have any questions contact me through Eventbrite or Instagram (@urbanhikesformentalhealth). For more information on each urban hike and to book, go to Eventbrite.’
With love, Jo, Hannah and the Bird team
Photo by Olia Gozha on Unsplash