3 minute read
Here comes the sun
outsideTake it
There’s something intoxicating about the arrival of spring. It’s a season packed with new life, blue skies and plenty of sunshine
WORDS PENNY HARRISON
After a dreary winter cooped up inside, now is the perfect time to step outside and get back to nature. It’s no surprise that getting outdoors not only makes you feel good, it’s good for you. And whether you’re into bushwalking, cycling, forest bathing, strolls in the park, or picnics with friends, spending time in nature is an easy and delightful way to improve your overall wellbeing.
Natural remedy
Research shows the benefits of connecting with nature include everything from boosting the immune system, reducing stress and lowering blood pressure to improving mood and increasing the ability to focus. Plus, the spring sunshine is a great way to increase your vitamin D stores, produce extra serotonin and lift your spirits.
In the study Beyond Blue to Green, Deakin University and Beyond Blue explore how nature helps mitigate or even prevent mental health-related issues.
Study co-author Dr Rona Weerasuriya found nature gives people the opportunity to experience relaxation, rejuvenation and connection with community, among a host of other health and wellbeing benefits.
“Simply escaping out into nature provides the freedom, relaxation and physical activity, which is needed and known to have a positive impact on mental states such as anxiety and depression,” Dr Weerasuriya says.
Meanwhile, researchers at the University of Queensland studied the dose of nature needed to have an impact on wellbeing and found a mere 30 minutes in a green space each week was enough to reduce depression and high blood pressure.
Take it slow
Slow author and podcaster Brooke McAlary says she only needs a few minutes outside to remind herself of the right pace of life.
“No matter how much of a hurry we’re in, the sun rises and sets when it needs to,” Brooke says. “It reminds us that not only are we connected to nature, but there’s no hurrying her.”
Brooke loves bushwalking and says it’s a great way to get her body moving, to soak up the natural essential oils (phytoncides) released by trees and help slow her brain down.
She has even been known to go barefoot on some of her walks, claiming it focuses her mind moment and heightens the senses.
“I also love to swim in the ocean, garden, walk around my neighbourhood, lie on the grass and watch the clouds, stargaze, look for four-leafed clovers at the park and sleep outside in a swag,” she says.
Brooke says it helps to recognise that getting outdoors doesn’t have to mean going camping or for a long hike.
“It can be as simple as sitting in the sun for a few minutes, or pulling some weeds in your garden, leaving your phone at home while you go for a walk or throwing some seeds in the ground and seeing what comes up,” she says.
To start, Brooke recommends finding a “sit spot” near your home or office where you can observe trees, plants and birds.
“Then commit to spending five minutes a day there, where all you do is sit and watch and listen,” she says.
“The awesome thing about the natural world is that we only need to pay attention in order to be part of it.”
Earthbound
It’s a time-honoured way to get outdoors and connect with the earth, and landscape designer Ashley James says spring is the busiest time of year for gardeners. Here are some of his top seasonal gardening tips: ✔ Finish your winter pruning before it gets too late in the season. This needs to be done before the buds burst and your tree begins to bloom, or you will stress the tree. ✔ Give your soil a shot of goodness, digging in compost and manures to prepare it for the growing season ahead. It is also a good time to mulch garden beds. ✔ Feed trees, shrubs and hedges with a slow-release fertiliser before growth begins. ✔ Repair and feed lawns — aerating, top-dressing and fertilising to encourage new growth, and reseeding or turfing bare areas. ✔ Prepare garden beds for sowing summer flower and vegetable seeds by removing weeds and turning over soil. ✔ Sow flower seeds of zinnia, marigolds, cornflowers, cosmos, snapdragons and echinacea, and vegetable seeds of basil, beans, beetroot, broccoli, capsicum, carrots, celery, leek, lettuce, pumpkin, spring onion, tomatoes, watermelon and zucchini.
