13.5.13

feel better outside!

rain on the apple blossom
'Feel better outside, feel better inside'.  This is the logo for the charity Ecominds, and they are so right. I came across one of their leaflets about improving your mental health by getting outside and into nature.

We know this don't we. We hope this is an instinctive thing, good for our well-being on all levels. Whatever the weather. But when someone is really low they don't always find the ability to go and do these things.

rain drops on a feather
I know my walks with my dog up on the common or in the woods, are a real life saver. Couple that with getting outside and being active and in my case a weekly run in the gym, and the sense of well being can be profound. Especially when life is challenging.

green and fresh on the woodland floor
At Ecominds they suggest these five steps to well-being :-                                                                        
Connect,
Be active,
Take notice,
Keep learning,
Give.

This is great advice, we hopefully will all be doing this and feel well in ourselves. If you know anyone who would benefit from this advice please give them the details of Ecominds.

beautiful deep pink cherry blossom
Just stepping outside the door helps, a moment to breathe out. Technology can leave me feeling jangled. But it soon settles after being outside.

my driftwood corner
Just outside my kitchen door I am growing some strawberries, raspberries and few herbs that need a bit of looking after and encouragement, or maybe re-potting. I hope to be able to make some fresh herbal tea. I'm thinking Mint tea and a Lemonbalm tea would be nice. They smell so nice and fresh.

strawberries and driftwood
I found my driftwood down on the beaches of the River Severn. I must go there again so I can add to my collection. Of course if you do live near a beach, it must be a fantastic place to walk and breathe out.

A pretty Ribes bush I planted a few years ago
I love this plant, it's called a Ribes. It's reminicient of a raspberry plant and it's going to make a very pretty bush at the front of my garden. Grow, grow little bush!

Hope you are managing to spend time outside with nature!
What outdoor activities keep you sane?

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Just to let you know that anybody who is interested in finding out more about mandalas I have added a new link on my previous post. I notice there are a few mentions of mandala around in the blogasphere at the moment. Have a good week.

Heather
X



13 comments:

  1. yes, I feel a lot better after a long walk outside!!!! Even in the traffic of Jakarta!!!!! ;oD
    xxxxx Ale

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  2. You can almost feel the stress leaving your body when you walk into the countryside can't you, what a brill organisation! I love your crochet too, beautiful colours! :) x

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  3. Being outside can be so re energising, though sometimes I have to be outside to remember this! Very interested in your link, off to visit ecominds :) xx

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  4. It makes such a difference being able to go outside and 'breathe' - sometimes it's just getting that first step out of the door that can be the problem - I think that's why I love my garden so much. I love your collection of pots on the stepladder, really pretty x Jane

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  5. Having some fresh air makes a tremendous difference, I think. Even better if there is some exercise involved. I often feel so happy and relaxed after doing some gardening and it's not just about the satisfaction that comes from completing a task, it's more than that, it's about feeling the air on your skin and the dirt under your finger nails. Cliched but true. Great post! x

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  6. Thank you Heather - I feel better just looking at your beautiful pics - especially the droplets on the blossom and on the feather, and seeing what you've been busy with.
    I think a gentle quiet walk in nature just can't be beaten, and if there is water flowing (good energy) then I'm so much happier. As shown in a couple of my recent posts, we are fortunate to have lovely little areas quite close to home where I can have easy visits to help me feel refreshed and enlivened. And of course there's always our own little gardens to enjoy - I've seen so many lovely scenes lately from fellow bloggers, including yourself. Thank you for brightening my day! Joy x

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  7. What a lovely garden space..i adore driftwood in gardens:)

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  8. Hi There,You're so right about this!!!A walk in the bush with my binoculars is the best!!!I do this early morning walk and it really jump starts my day the best way possible!!!It must be the fresh clean morning air!!!If the weather is not too hot,little Miss J and I go for a late afternoon walk and that is also fun!!!But we have learned now to take a flashlight with, the shorter days have caught us out a couple of times!!!Have a great week!!!
    Love
    AMarie

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    1. A walk in the bush with binoculars! amazing! x

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  9. delightful pics . love ya blog thanks have a great day hx

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  10. What a lovely post and thank you Heather for the link to Ecominds. I think we can all benefit from it. I certainly will!! Your little garden space looks lovely and there is nothing more rewarding that pottering outside with some herbs and stawbs and other pretty little things popping up. The appleblossom is lovely. On this, did you plant your apple tree yourself, and if so did you remove the apple blossom for the first year to encourage growth??? We have just planted our first a couple of months ago so this is all new to us. I had a little look at the link to Mandala's and despite having known a bit about it, it was very interesting to read. Thank you for sharing, it is always good to know what energy you can put into making something. xoxo

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    1. sadly I don't have any apple tree know how, other than to admire blossoms and eat apples! These trees were already in the garden much to my delight. x

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  11. Hello Heather, your garden photo's are lovely, getting outdoors is such a tonic. I have started to try and go swimming once a week, sometimes its a white knuckle ride to get myself motivated, but once there i am fine. Tomorrow i am going to walk our dog and take the camera with me.
    Best wishes jackie x

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