7 great reasons TO GET OUTDOORS

Woodland walks, pottering in the garden, and being kissed by the sun’s rays all have the potential to improve our mood. Have you noticed that you tend to feel worse when cooped up inside? So, it’s no wonder that women head outdoors to heal everything from midlife heartbreak and menopausal anxiety, to more serious mental health conditions.

This medicinal form of nature is known as ecotherapy, and there’s scientific evidence to support its success.

1 NATURE’S PRESCRIPTION

Ecotherapy covers a broad range of nature-based activities that can enhance health, explains Jess Bayley, ecotherapist and project manager at The Centre). ‘It’s the conscious recognition that being in nature is effective in improving our wellbeing and that it develops people’s connection to themselves and the natural environment.’ And this ethos is backed by the medical profession. Ecotherapy is being used as a social prescription, with the NHS making referrals from mental health centres and rehabilitation units. Some people will go through life without suffering psychologically and they won’t experience vulnerability, says Jess. For others, mounting stress, work issues, bereavements or relationship problems can take a toll. ‘Mental health issues can creep up and break a person’s resilience. That’s when you can find solace in the natural world,’ she says.