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Spending regular time in nature can help you smile more from inside

Spending regular time in nature can help you smile more from inside

Nature Connection, Nature therapy, Wellbeing

A regular dose of nature can be transformative

Most people know the old saying “get outdoors to blow the cobwebs away”, meaning to clear your mind of thoughts causing stress, not literally cobwebs!

We live in a world where there are not only increasing pressures to keep a roof over your head and food on the table, but any downtime is punctuated by headlines and social media updates that can cause anxiety levels to rise.

You may well have already made the connection with getting outdoors for a while and feeling better inside? Have you ever wondered why that is?

History changed us

Basically, although we now spend much of our lives indoors it wasn’t many hundreds of years since we, as humans, would have spent far more of our lives out of doors. We were, then, much more connected to nature and the natural rhythms of the weather and the seasons. The advent of the Industrial Revolution changed lifestyles, dramatically for many people. Since then, generation by generation, people have looked to the acquisition of material things to make them feel better inside, as opposed to taking advantage of a therapeutic wellbeing resource that is freely available – setting aside regular time for ‘just being’ in nature.

What does ‘just being’ mean?

To give an example, many people get out to walk their dog, but as they’re walking along they’re thinking about things. Now, the mind is designed to think and we do a lot of it over the course of every day, problem-solving! It’s easy to get home from a dog walk and feel better physically (through moving your body). However, if you’re constantly going over stuff in your head, or listening to music or a podcast as you walk along then you are not ‘just being’ in nature, facilitating your senses to tune in on what’s going on. It’s in the ‘noticing’ of what’s going on (through your senses) that is key to benefiting how you feel. You may find it strange, but it’s true, that by bringing focused attention to what you can see, hear, smell, touch or taste, it can actually soothe a frantically whirring mind or a heightened emotional state (or both!). The rhythm of walking, as you notice what’s around you can really help too.

Why ‘just being’ in nature is so helpful to making you smile more from the inside

If you spend regular time outside, paying attention to the sights and sounds around you, then your brain will eventually be persuaded to give up on it’s whirring and unhelpful thinking/rumination for a while. Essentially, what you’re doing by focusing on nature is that you’re turning down the volume of your thinking mind. If you’re someone who’s troubled with ruminating on things, or worrying about what might happen (anxiety), the gentle repetition of getting out into nature, focusing on what you see, hear, touch (even taste) can really help put a brake on your ‘chattering’ mind. The effect can be relaxing, reviving and ultimately restorative.

Various Universities have carried out scientific research, measuring the benefits of ‘just being’ in nature. The research concluded that two hours a week was the optimum time needed for an individual to spend outdoors, connecting with nature (not just walking along with the dog or chatting with someone else). If you managed a 20-minute walk a day, with intention to notice what you see/hear/smell/touch/taste (whatever is the most appropriate combination for where you are), you’d reach the target of 120 minutes a week. If you can manage 30 minutes per ‘just being’ walk, you’d reach the prescribed 120 minutes in 6 days, providing a day off for good behaviour!

Ideas for connecting with nature to help you smile more from the inside

I will just say, please don’t think this nature-therapy strategy is going to work in a week. Firstly, you have to teach yourself to slow down (which may be hard to start with). Also, don’t listen to music or podcasts when you’re walking out in nature, but bring your full attention to your walking experience instead. Try noticing each footstep you take (for about 30 seconds to start with). That’s a good way to bring focused attention to noticing.

As you walk along, bring your attention to noticing what’s around you, above your head, below your feet. Set yourself the task of noticing 3 things on your walk. If you’re walking in an urban area where you’re passing houses with gardens, notice what’s growing in them. Pause and examine a flowering bush or a flower more closely. You don’t need to do any more than that. The key to helping you smile more from the inside is doing this ‘notice 3-things’ regularly. I even take photos of plants that deliver a shot of joy, which is what I notice happens more and more than when I first started deliberately noticing 3-things on my walks.

I also need to say, please don’t get so engrossed in noticing your 3 things that you stop noticing potential dangers (such as cars, bikes, people approaching from in front of you, or coming up behind you).

If you’re somewhere like a country park or perhaps out in the countryside somewhere, you can choose a spot to sit, or stand for about 3 – 10 minutes (work the time up). Then, bring your focused attention to noticing what’s going on around you. What you can see, what you can hear, what you can smell. Is there something tactile nearby you can touch, such as soft grasses or the bark on a tree? Tasting is another sense you can explore. You don’t actually have to pick something to taste it, you could just stick your tongue out and taste the air, or the rain if that’s what occurs whilst you’re standing or sitting.

It’s the ‘allowing’ that you have to work on with the above exercise, because your brain will have a tendency to question what you’re doing – “I’ve not got time”, or “this feels boring”. If you notice your thoughts are being unhelpful around keeping on doing this activity, you have two options – give in or stick with it. I’d recommend the latter.

Join a group to enjoy community with others

For some people, joining a nature connection type of group is the best way to start. You don’t have to join one that offers Forest Bathing or a Sound Bath in nature. In fact, one where you are guided to engage yourself in activities that feel meaningful to you and that meet on a regular (preferabley weekly) basis is what I would suggest you look for.

You might want to check out this Wednessday Wellbeing group that meets once a week. The session is billed as a way to access fresh air, friendship and fun and the way it’s run is based on the 5-ways to Wellbeing.

  • Get Active
  • Be Social
  • Learn something new
  • Care for the Environment
  • Contribute to something you feel helps nature

This group is based in an ancient woodland between Thrapston and Corby. However, if that’s not local to you then why not do a search and see what might be available in your area.

Here’s some feedback from the Wellbeing Wednesday group

“I leave my troubles at the gate”

“As soon as I get ouf of the car and start walking up the track my whirring mind quietens and I feel a sense of being able to breathe more easily”.

 If you’re suffering from anxiety or low mood as a result of a life event or personal health issue you are dealing with, please get in touch for more personalised guidance. I offer a free, no obligation, 30-minute session online to talk through potential therapeutic options to help you navigate what you are dealing with.

 

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Hypnosis and self-hypnosis overview

Hypnosis and self-hypnosis overview

Hypnosis

Hynosis and self-hypnosis

How hypnosis could help you

Hypnosis (whether hypnotherapy or self-hypnosis) provides the way to access your subconscious mind, with the aim of making positive changes to the way you think.

Becoming more aware of your habitual ways of thinking, rather than being locked into automatic thinking shaped by past experiences, is the first step to changing your experience of how you live your life.

Hypnosis can be an energising force, helping you focus your attention on replacing unhelpful with more helpful ways of thinking. Quite simply, hypnosis can bring about ‘helpful’ changes in the way you think, feel and behave, in relation to yourself and others. 

Hypnotherapy and self-hypnosis can also help promote new ways of thinking about whatever is at the root of your current suffering, whether the cause is rooted in emotional or physical pain. Hypnosis holds the key to developing a  new  mindset about whatever is currently causing issue for you. 

How hypnosis works

Being in a hypnotic trance effects a bypass of the conscious mind, allowing helpful suggestions to be introduced into the subconscious mind. ‘Suggestions’, made by person themselves in self-hypnosis or by the therapist in hypnotherapy, are more likely to be accepted and integrated into the subconscious mind, helping the person in hypnosis to adopt, rather than reject, new ways of thinking.

The conscious mind is often resistant to change, due to fear, anxiety, or other factors. Hypnosis helps to bypass any resistance by the conscious mind by working directly with the subconscious mind. It is in the sub-conscious mind where our beliefs are rooted and where those beliefs can be reshaped to bring about positive change in how a person thinks, feels and behaves.

Self-hypnsosis

Self-hypnosis can be a very useful skill to learn and the hypnosis state it provides can be accessed easily anywhere and at any time of day or night. Self-hypnosis can become a person’s portable and very user-friendly personal support mechanism.

For those motivated to try using it, self-hypnosis is quite safe, facilitating the unconscious mind to accept positive, helpful suggestions, naturally rejecting any that may not suit. Additionally, in situations where a person is feeling at a loss of control in their circumstances, which can be both comforting and empowering.

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How hypnosis works

On a very basic level, hypnosis (whether hypnotherapy treatments or self-hypnosis) induces relaxation and when a person is in a calm state they are more receptive to being open to new ideas. In a state of hypnosis a person becomes more open to suggestions about new ways of thinking that can be very helpful in improving their life experience.

There are some situations where hypnosis should not be used, for example where someone is suffering from uncontrolled epilepsy, psychosis or has a brain tumour or TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury). Speaking with a qualified hypnotherapist will provide you with guidance as to what therapeutic approach will be most suitable to help support whatever needs you identify. 

How I can help

I provide a free 30 minute discovery session for the purpose of providing information and guidance on what therapeutic approach might be most suitable to meet your needs. Please be aware I work with people to help them maximise the success potential of prescribed medication/medical interventions, not as an alternative to engaging with them. 

You can make contact with me by filling in the form below, or by making a phone call or sending a text to 07483 234109

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Originally posted 2023-08-14 10:26:09.

Nature therapy for mental health

Nature therapy for mental health

Nature therapy

How Nature helps improve mental health

Nicola’s story

Nicola had been really struggling with her mental health, unable to get rid of feelings of being stressed out and overwhelmed by life. She had explored various routes to help her feel better, including signing up for a relaxation class. The trouble was that every time she attended and tried to relax she just couldn’t, felt she was failing and that made her feel even worse.

Then someone suggested she sign up to a Nature Immersion session in a woodland to help improve her mental health. This seemed a bit unlikely to Nicola to begin with, but she decided to give it a go because she was, frankly, beginning to feel a bit desperate.

As soon as Nicola had got out of her car at the woodland she was struck by how loudly the birds were singing and also how within a few minutes she seemed to be able to breathe more deeply and easily and how pleasant that felt.

Over the next few weeks, with guidance, Nicola learned how to tune into nature at a level she had never imagined possible before and how through doing so it was possible to help herself connect with a greater sense of calmness in her head that felt, so much of the time normally, fit to burst. 

Over a few sessions of Nature Immersion Nicola found it easier and easier to access a state of relaxation through tuning into the sights and sounds of nature, noticing more than she had ever done before in both the woodland and in herself. 

The Nature connection activities Nicola was introduced to helped still her mind, relax her body and by the end of each session she noticed a definite reduction in her stress levels and felt somehow enveloped in a bubble of calmness. 

Nichola shared her experiences with others in the group as they sat in the log circle at the end of each session, Sarah felt a sense of community and connectedness that she hadn’t experienced in a long time.

As the weeks went on, Nicola also noticed that through pursuing a deeper connection with nature she felt more deeply connected to herself. It felt good.  

Nicola realised that spending time in the woodland has really helped her with her mental health. She not only had developed a deeper appreciation of the natural world but felt more grounded and able to slow down her incessant, whirring mind that was just exhausting to live with.

Nicola realised the power of Nature Connection in helping her slow down, notice more and be able to just let thoughts go, rather than just allowing them to chatter on and on inside her head. Just knowing she now had a ‘happy place’ to go made things so different, not to change her life circumstances but to help her approach in dealing with them day to day with a greater sense of calmness and resilience.

circle seating in woodland
woodland path through trees
people walking in woodland
pressed flowers and leaves
dandelion head
purple flower head
head with flowers

The Science behind the story

Scientific research has proved that spending just 2 hours a week immersed in nature has the potential to deliver significant health and wellbeing benefits.

Nature immersion activities can be active or they can be reflective, it all depends on personal preference. What is key to experiencing Nature conneciton benefits lies in learning to bring heightened awareness to your senses of sight, hearing, smell, touch and even taste. When you’re focussed on your senses it turns down the volume of your chattering mind and that in itself can effect mental relaxation and physical relaxation that helps reset emotonal balance. 

The experience of Nature Immersion is akin to allowing yourself to be bathed by soothing, warm water; a nourishing. bathing experience that has not only been practiced by the Japanese for over 50 years. Research into the benefits of bathing in nature has resulted in the practice becoming  a valued part of Japan’s National Health Service. 

Originally posted 2023-08-12 14:22:13.

Support for neurodiverse children

Support for neurodiverse children

Children

Therapy support for neurodiverse children

It’s okay to be different

Neurodiversity just means that a person is different in the way they think. However, being ‘different’ often effects challenges in day to day living. 

To be neurodiverse doesn’t mean there’s anything negative going on, but rather a positive, through possessing a different way of thinking about things. People who see things differently have often been those who have changed the world we live in, for the better.

Of course, when a person feels they are ‘different’ and others don’t think in the same way they do it can cause confusion and upset, leading to loss of of self-belief and self-esteem. Too often a person who is neurodiverse can feel they don’t ‘fit’ and, over time, that can lead to anxiety around other people and/or situations. If your neurodiverse child is not coping well with life at the moment I can provide therapy-based interventions face-to-face or online.

Neurodiversity super-power

Neurdiverse people are, essentially, wired differently, but that doesn’t mean it’s a disability or an illness. In fact, neurodiversity occurs quite naturally in the population as a whole, a bit like right and left handed people.  In fact, research is demonstrating that numbers of neurodiverse people are increasing because more people are learning to be more open about their way of being, celebrating their way of seeing the world as full of positivity; a super-power of creative potential.

Supporting a neurodiverse child

Being neurodiverse can make a child become withdrawn or prone to exhibiting unhelpful angry behaviours. It could be that, as a parent, you recognise elements of being neurodiverse too? It’s important you don’t look for ‘fixes’ but rather ways to help your child feel it’s okay to be different than others, finding ways to empower rather than disempower their life experiences.  So, if being neurodiverse has impacted negatively on your child, help is available.

You can book at free 30-minute ‘Discovery session’ to have a no-obligation chat about your child, to see if you feel I might be able to be of assistance.

 

 

 

girl
boy wearing headphones

Neurodiversity is….

Conditions that could be considered as neurodiverse are Autism and ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder).

Dyslexia is another condition that might be considered an example of neurodiversity.

Dyscalculia, which is more related to numbers rather than words, is another example of neurodiversity.

Dyspraxia, manifesting as a person having difficulties with body coordination, (the person often being described as clumsy) can be considered an example of neurodiversity.

Dyspraxia, labelling for someone who finds it very difficult to organise themselves, can also be considered linked to neurodiversity.

In relation to Autism, other difficulties individuals may experience can relate to social interactions and getting along with other people. The underlying reason may be linked to neurodiversity becasue that person has difficulty in reading non-verbal signals or lack facilty to fully grasp what someone means, so they take things quite literally.

However, having outlined a number of neurodiversity examples it has to be said, being left-handed could be considered “neurodiverse” (that person is wired differently than the vast majority). Being different doesn’t have to be an anchor in life and there are plenty of examples of neurodiverse people who have not only achieved amazing things but changed the world for the better, becasue of their ability to think ‘outside the box’.

Find out more about how I could help support your neurodiverse child

Building self-confidence, self-esteem, improved focus and, importantly, techniques for relaxation, slowing down the mind and focusing more on the present moment can be incredibly helpful for neurodiverse children. 

The focus of my work with children is on helping them to flourish;  working with them to make positive use of their strengths. In other words, I work with children to help them appreciate their strengths, to grow their ability to connect more effectively with themselves, understand other peoples emotions and how to communicate their needs to others.

Gaining confidence to interact with life in ways that nourish rather then deplete is a valuable skill for anyone, but particularly so for neurodiverse children who need to believe in themselves to be able to build resilience for coping with a world that can be ‘out of step’ with their values and beliefs.

If you’d like to find out more about how I would work with your child, phone/text me on 07483 234109 or fill in the form below to book at free 30 minute ‘discovery session’ that can take place on the phone or online using Zoom or FaceTime.

 

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Originally posted 2023-09-01 09:25:30.

Emotional regulation through nature connection

Emotional regulation through nature connection

Nature Connection, Nature therapy

Connection with nature brings about deeper connection with self

This is a case study of a child who was expressing anger in unhelpful ways. Names have been changed, to maintain confidentiality.

Max got angry very easily, struggled to control his emotions and even small things could make him lose his temper. His parents had tried various ways to try and help him but were feeling pretty exhausted and overwhelmed themselves with failing to find successful strategies to lower the angry outbursts from their son that were both verbal and physical.

However, what Max’s parents had noticed was that when Max was outdoors he seemed more settled and happier in himself, so they started researching into therapists who worked with children outdoors. That’s how they came across me, as someone who works using the outdoors in a therapeutic capacity, to bring about emotional regulation through nature connection.

Max was initially reluctant to engage with coming along to therapy sessions in a woodland, but once he arrived, he was entranced by the wildness of the wood, the animal tracks he could follow and the opportunities for all kinds of fun such as fire making and den building. What Max found, over a period of just a few sessions, was that just being in the wood made him feel better inside. What was happening was that his emotions were soothed by his senses being engaged with nature, resulting in Max feeling a lot calmer and more at peace with himself.

 

Nature connection delivers a sense of joy

In one therapy session, as we were wandering through the woods, Max saw a deer with a young fawn and he was truly awestruck by the experience. He went home and started finding out more about the type of deer it was and all about them as a species. His parents were amazed at how Max not only became engrossed in what he was doing, which was something he usually struggled with, but how his general manner at home seemed calmer and not so prone to fly into his usual rages. Max just seemed happier and more content in himself, for longer periods of time at home, than had been the case previously.

What had happened was that Max had, through connecting with nature, learned about the pleasure and joy of relaxation and bringing focussed attention to the present moment. Once Max was able to access a more relaxed state he became more open to other therapeutic treatments, including IEMT (Integrated Eye Movement Therapy) to process memories that were effecting unhelpful emotions. IEMT was the therapy used to help Max explore how he came to feel the way he did, with a view to helping him reduce his emotional dysregulation.

Working with the parents was also part of the therapy treatment programme, providing them with strategies to use to help both Max and themselves. Changing behaviour was effected first through learning to relax in nature, followed by a more formalised therapy treatment programme suited to the particular need of both child and parent(s).

Find out more about how nature connection could help your child

The 20 acre woodland where I work is privately owned with no public access and is located near the town of Thrapston, in East Northamptonshire. f you think nature connection sessions could be helpful to your child then please get in touch by phoning or messaging me, Susan Collini, on 07483 234109, or use the contact form below and I will get back to you.

 

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Originally posted 2023-08-26 16:35:13.