Mental Health Awareness Week takes place from 13-19 May 2019.
Whether we realise it (or want to admit it) mental health will affect us all at some point in our life. It’s all too easy to let the stresses of today’s busy, modern life get on top of us; the pressures of work, kids, friends, family etc. can become overwhelming, increasing your chance of becoming susceptible to mental health issues.
Did you know…? One in four adults and one in 10 children experience mental illness, and many more people know, and care for people who do.
It is well documented that spending time in green space like gardens, woods, natural meadows, wetlands, parks or bringing nature into your everyday life can benefit both your mental and physical wellbeing. It can:
- Improve your mood
- Reduce feelings of stress or anger
- Help you take time out so you feel more relaxed
- Improve your physical health & wellbeing
- Help you be more active
- Stimulate all of your senses
- Allow you to breathe
With communication being more digitally focused these days; the never ending emails or ping of a new Tweet or text can lead us to be more stressed and disconnected than we have ever been. So what do we do?
A break from life’s pressures
Many of our visitors (if not all), talk of the overwhelming sense of timeless tranquillity that they get as they wander through the garden. The mown paths meander their way through the flora and fauna, leading you down to the waters edge where you can sit and contemplate, or enjoy a quiet picnic. The ability to ‘lose’ a few hours is quite astonishing. There is no evidence of time passing (apart from the sun setting), no demands from the boss, kids or family, no urgency at all for anything.
Spending half a day or a day wandering around Antony Woodland Garden could make a huge difference to your health and mental wellbeing. And, if you are able to make a visit part of your weekly or monthly routine, there is every chance your mood and outlook will be brighter.
An excerpt from The Guardian states that Forestry England has gathered data from a string of studies that it says shows there is strong scientific evidence that visiting a forest can improve mood and attention span, and even enhance psychological stress recovery.
It says walking among trees reduces levels of cortisol, a hormone associated with stress, and claims a forest walk can boost the immune system through breathing in phytoncides, which trees emit to protect themselves from germs and insects.
Visit Antony Woodland Garden this spring
More than half of the population of England lives within six miles of a green area or woodland. We make it easy for you to enjoy the benefits of nature at our woodland garden.
There’s no rush, no time restriction, no boundaries. Just stroll along at your own pace. There are no signs and no directions, just seemingly endless woodlands to discover at your leisure until you find your own ‘Jerusalem’!
Sarah Bartlett
The overwhelming peace and tranquillity shouldn’t be under estimated. Losing yourself in Cornwall’s hidden Garden will have a lasting effect, helping you feel calm, happy and refreshed.