Spending 120 minutes a week in nature is associated with good health and wellbeing.*

This doesn't have to be done a all in one go, the benefit is the same whether you take a 2 hour walk or several shorter periods of time.

To get the greatest benefit from spending time in nature it is important to focus on being in the present moment. A great way to do this is through our senses. We can look around and notice what plants and animals we can see, observe the huge variety of colours, and wonder at their existence. We can pay attention to anything we smell, whether it's flowers, the sea, freshly mown grass or any of the many other smells nature has to offer. Listen to the sounds that are all around you, it maybe bird songs, the wind, the sea, the rustle of leaves, there's never a silent moment. We can touch tree barks and feel all the different textures, place ours hands in a running stream, feel the sensation of sand between our toes. We can taste the abundance of flavours nature provides us with, whether it be a carrot from the garden or a blackberry picked from a hedge.

When we are in nature and experience it through our senses we are truly connecting with it, and benefitting from it.

Here are some of the ways I spend time in nature.

1. Spending time at the beach

This is one of my favourite ways to spend time in nature. I grew up by the coast and I think that has so much to do with why I find it so calming and restorative. It has always been part of my life, and reminds me of happy times when I was young.

When I'm there, I experience it by listening, seeing, smelling and hearing it, and on rough days you can also taste the salt as the spray hits your face. On shingle beaches I love walking along looking at the huge variety of pebbles. There are all different shapes, sizes, colours and textures, and if you're really lucky you find one with a hole through the middle! I also love just sitting, watching and listening to the tide come in and out, and as the tide goes out it looks like the pebbles are like little soldiers standing to attention.

We have one beach close by that is a couple miles long. I love going there to sit and just look out at the horizon. Looking out at the horizon is proven to relax your nervous system. Research done by Dr Andrew Huberman, a neuroscientist at Stanford, shows that when we look at something stimulating our field of vision narrows, we fix our focus on one thing and everything else is blurry. This activates our 'fight or flight' response. In contrast to this when we expand our visual field, which is what we do when looking at the horizon, we signal to our body that it's safe and the relax response is activated. That is why it's so easy to zone out when looking at the horizon - your body feels safe and is not looking for threats.

2. Spending time in the woods

Guess what, spending time in the woods is another of my favourite ways to be in nature!

I love feeling part of such an interconnected community. After reading The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben, walking in the woods was a very different experience for me. I feel safe and held as I'm amongst a community that looks after and supports each other. The trees will communicate with each other using chemicals. For example they will let other trees know if they are being attacked by insects, so that the other trees can release a chemical that deters the insects from attacking them. Trees are so much more complex than I realised and so vital in maintaining a healthy planet.

From reading this book I also discovered that trees release chemicals called phytoncides. When we breathe in these chemicals they help to strengthen our immune, hormonal, circulatory and nervous systems, creating a healthier, stronger, more resilient mind and body.

By spending up to 30 minute in the woods everyone experiences reduced cortisol levels. Cortisol is one of the stress hormones, and when we are feeling overwhelmed there can be excess levels of cortisol in our blood, so by getting out into the woods this can be reduced. You don't even need to go for a walk - sitting is just as effective! When cortisol levels are reduced the body is able to go into a relaxed state, where healing can happen.

One activity I enjoy doing in the woods is hugging a tree. I did this the other day on a walk and felt a lovely buzzy feeling inside. I urge you to give it a try. I know there is the worry of what others will think, but try and push through that and you may experience something wonderful too.

3. Spending time in the countryside

I love a walk in the countryside. Getting a map out and planning a route, staying off roads as much as possible. I become absorbed by all that is going on around me, from the plants and animals I observe, to the sounds and vistas I experience along the way.

There is so much beauty to be seen, but we have to slow down to see it. Slowing down can be really hard when we live our lives at such a fast pace. It can feel uncomfortable to sit and observe, as the adrenaline and cortisol that race through us are pushing us to get moving . We are so conditioned to be doing something, that when we sit and just be it feels alien.

We can increase our connection with Mother Earth if we do barefoot walking. It is said that when we walk barefooted we connect our, and the Earth's energy fields. We are bioelectrical beings and our energy field carries a slight positive charge and the earth carries a negative charge. When we connect directly to the earth the excess energy within us is discharged. This is said to have a healing effect at a cellular level.

I went for a barefoot walk the other day, and I have to say it felt amazing. The connection to the earth felt so strong. I was walking on grass, dirt paths and even through some squishy mud, which felt really good - soft and cooling. It feels like you are experiencing an even deeper connection with nature. I was so absorbed by the sensations of walking over different terrains, that there was no space to think about anything else. I was truly present in the moment.

Spending time in nature has deep positive effects on us. It can help to reduce burnout, increase our attention span, experience the power of awe and support us in coping with change. Isn't it incredible, all these benefits we can get from spending time in nature and the best thing is, it's free!

I urge you to find time in your busy lives to slow down and be with Mother Nature. She will nourish and reset you.

*Nature Journal, 2019