Over the past weeks, especially since the death of my nephew and news of multiple people dealing with life-threatening illnesses, I’ve found myself having a low mood. I know that this is grief and the stresses of life. I’ve had to monitor how much I”m watching the evening news, which is an old habit from growing up with Walter Cronkite as a nightly guest in our living room. Lately, I’ve reached a threshold of how much sad news I can take. I’ve felt an irritable, restlessness of my spirit. I haven’t danced as much, so those usual nights of joyful energy surges have been limited. I’ll get back to dancing, but it just hasn’t felt like the time.
While I’ve been less active with dancing, the one thing I’ve done more of is hiking. Not with the purpose of training for a long trek–like I did 2 years ago for the Camino. The hikes I’ve done have been to explore new paths and take in the autumn colors alongside my boyfriend. With him I’m not concerned about my safety or getting lost, so I can relax.
We both value taking our time to observe unusual tree bark, patterns of the rocks, and sunlight through the branches of the colorful trees. We don’t rush, instead stopping to listen to the flow of the water or the call of a crow. We learn new things about each other as spontaneous stories come up while we plod along with the aide of our walking sticks, keeping us from stumbling over the numerous tree roots.
Last week we walked along the Haw River in Chatham County. We’re in a draught and the river is very low. There were rocks we could walk across that used to be under water. Those areas had an “other-worldly” feel, like we were on the moon. Just to think that usually the majority of these rocks are underwater speaks to the severe level of draught.
On the weekend, we chose to hike at the Umstead State Park in Raleigh. How peaceful to walk in the grand expanse of forest, hearing the dry leaves crunch under our feet. Every so often, I’d stop to take in a deep breath and feel the sun on my face. My spirit settled down and I let go of the sadness that had been welling up. I’ve always loved being out in nature, whether it was on our farm when I was a girl or watching the bluebirds in my patio. But on those hikes, it felt like full immersion that resulted in healing those frayed nerve endings.
I found an article online from the American Hiking Society, “How Time in Nature Boosts Our Mental Health” based on interviews with two nature informed therapists, Gina Strauss from the Center for Nature Informed Therapy and Sarah Boone, a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor in private practice. They note that taking intentional actions to reconnect to the natural world can significantly improve our mental health:
“Our DNA is designed to respond to natural sounds such as birdsong, the sound of water, wind through the trees,” explains Gina Strauss. “Those sounds are incredibly calming to our nervous system.”
I felt that on both hikes, the “calming of my nervous system.”
In the article, Sarah Boone points out that you don’t have to be in a forest to have a nature-based experience. Even taking a few moments in the middle of a city to stare at a trees can be soothing.
Boone explains, “If we look at it from a biological standpoint, there are so many ways our bodies are relaxed and regulated when we are in nature – our heart rate drops, our blood pressure goes down, our cortisol levels go down and our immune system is boosted. It’s really a natural anti-anxiety and antidepressant.”
It impresses me that she’s not talking about exercising, but rather, just Being in nature.
I’ve only mentioned the points of the article that most resonated with me. There’s a lot more that makes it worth a read.
I plan to continue this pattern of hiking. And even when I can’t get away for an immersive walk in the woods, balance can be restored by just sitting and observing nature all around me.
Best to you in finding your own benefits of time in nature.
Connie
Resources
https://americanhiking.org/time-in-nature-boosts-mental-health/
https://www.ncparks.gov/state-parks/william-b-umstead-state-park
