Elite VIP Circle Blog

 Do You Ever Feel That You Just Need to Step Away or Get Out! Read On & Learn How the Garden Can be A Great Source for Mental Comfort!

Why time in nature is good for you

                    A person relaxes on the grass reading a book

Gardens can work wonders when we are stressed and under pressure.

Gardening can help us achieve the 'five ways to wellbeing using gardens and nature'. Through them we can connect, be active, take notice, learn and give.

Introducing the five ways to wellbeing

• Connect
• Be active
• Take notice
• Learn
• Give

The amazing, restorative power of gardens and nature can help meet all five of these.

Latest: Read about Five Ways to Wellbeing during the Coronavirus crisis.

The Five Ways to Wellbeing are a set of evidence-based public mental health messages aimed at improving the mental health and wellbeing of the whole population.

They were developed by NEF as the result of a commission by Foresight, the UK government‟s futures think-tank, as part of the Foresight Project on Mental Capital and Wellbeing.

This report presents the results of a scoping exercise looking at how the Five Ways to Wellbeing have been used across the UK since their launch as part of the Foresight report in October 2008.

The aims of this work are twofold.

1. To develop an increased understanding about the scope and potential of the Five Ways to Wellbeing as a tool to improve population mental health and wellbeing.

2. To review how the Five Ways to Wellbeing are currently being used by local and national agencies to help identify future opportunities.

The report outlines some of the arguments for a population-wide approach to mental health promotion and provides more detail about the Foresight report and the development of the Five Ways to Wellbeing. It maps findings from the scoping exercise against a conceptual framework and presents a number of case studies that illustrate different uses of the Five Ways to Wellbeing in more detail. It provides further information about the characteristics of activities and interventions using the Five Ways to Wellbeing and discusses the findings from this work, highlighting areas for future development.

This report was commissioned jointly by the National Mental Health Development Unit (NMHDU) and the NHS Confederation in 2010. The views expressed in this report reflect the research findings and the authors’ interpretation; they do not necessarily reflect NHS Confederation policy or opinions.

Check Out NEF'S more recent analysis

• Connect
  
  
  

Feeling close to and valued by other people are fundamental human needs. Evidence shows these things help us to function well in the world.

How can gardens and nature help me to connect?

• Group work in gardening is a very effective way to bond. This includes for people with communication difficulties and social anxiety. Working together allows them to gain confidence in interacting with others. This has many proven mental and physical health benefits. And gardening can really help you reconnect after a serious health incident.

The great outdoors, or at least a garden, can bring you closer to people than being shut away, as it were, in your own room.  It's got a wonderfully beneficial social effect! 

Be Active

Regular physical activity can lead to lower rates of depression and anxiety.

How can gardens and nature help me to be active?

• Pushing a lawn mower is moderate aerobic exercise. Digging is a strength building activity.
• Studies show exercising in nature can have better results than in a gym. It can lead to greater revitalisation, stress reduction, and motivation to exercise longer.
• Work in the garden can help you use between 250-500 calories an hour.
• Gardening can be used as part of rehabilitation programmes. This includes for people with debilitating illnesses or traumas, such as strokes. It can help improve motor, speech and cognitive skills.

Even if you live in a flat with no garden, you can look at joining an allotment. It can give you opportunity to meet other and also keep you fit. 

Take Notice

Being aware of what is happening in the present can enhance your wellbeing. Evidence shows savouring ‘the moment’ can help to reaffirm your life priorities.

How can gardens and nature help me to take notice?

• Interacting with nature is a multi-sensory experience. In your garden or on a walk, you can take time to notice what is around you. Feel the soil in your fingers. Listen to the birds tweeting. Look at the different flowers and trees around you.
• Working in a garden, you become more mindful of the natural environment. You are aware of nature’s processes and cycles. In contrast to the ups and downs of human life, these remain largely constant and reliable.
• 
  
• Learn

Continued learning enhances self-esteem. It encourages social interaction and a more active life.

How can gardens and nature help me to learn?

• Gardens and nature offer endless learning opportunities. No matter how much time you spend in nature or how many gardening books you read, there is always more to learn.
• Learning about gardens and nature can be a wonderful personal journey for someone to go on. 

When you grow something from seed to the plate, there’s a real sense of achievement.

Give

People with a great interest in helping others are more likely to rate themselves as happy.

How can gardens and nature help me to give?

• Vegetables or flowers grown and given to a loved one can be a well-received gift. To know someone has nurtured something and given it to you is a very feel-good moment. Do you know the favourite vegetable of someone you're close to? Imagine how they'd feel if you grew it for them!
• You could also use nature to craft a gift. You'd be amazed what you can put together with some sticks, bark and leaves. You could create a replica of a loved one's favourite animal. 
• 
  

source