Rescued this little baby recently in a wood, enlisted the amazing help of Steve Godz from GoringGapWildlifewalks and now this tiny, tawny owl is kindly being cared for at the Oxfordshire Wildlife Rescue
Recent Mental Health Foundation Research suggests that an appreciation and active engagement with Nature can both prevent mental health problems and promote and improve people’s wellbeing, and also significantly help to combat stress and anxiety. Just walking or even sitting in nature has shown to encourage positive thinking, create better coping mechanisms, build resilience, regulate emotions, and enhance focus and solution- oriented thinking. Something we could probably all benefit from at work and home.
Whilst Richard and I hadn’t imagined rescuing anything that morning it was a joy and a privilege to have been able to do so which I know we felt at the very core of our beings.
According to Professor Tine Van Bortel from the University of Cambridge and De Montfort University Leicester, nature, meaningful activities and access to outside safe spaces are all part of what is crucial for successfully, functioning societies. They represent ‘strong determinants of our health and wellbeing’. He says, “There is no trade-off between public health and the economy – quite the opposite: healthy, happy people make for stronger communities and thriving economies.”
We surely need to look to local and national governments to help make Nature a resource for everyone. It is becoming apparent that it is both a mental health and social justice issue as well as an environmental one.
With the UK hosting the G7 Summit in June 2021 (a green future being firmly on the agenda), a new Environment Bill going through the UK Parliament, and the UK hosting the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow in November, it is an exciting year and full of hope for nature. The opportunity is there to gain an understanding of Nature’s connection with mental health, wellbeing and the economy.
Bonnie Roberts and Richard Roberts from Positive Consultancy Ltd offer executive coaching and run workshops both in Resilience and Stress Reduction for businesses, organisations and individuals.