Nature

“In nature, nothing is perfect and everything is perfect. Trees can be contorted, bent in weird ways, and they’re still beautiful.” –Alice Walker

When my daughter was young and experiencing evening crabbiness, what some refer to as the “witching hour,” I found it helpful to take her outside and sit on the porch with her on my lap. We would notice the sun beginning to go down, take in the large trees that line our street, and she’d occasionally shudder in response to a faint breeze. Just being outside on our porch helped her to calm down and me to recenter. Time outside in nature is critical for our mental wellbeing and research suggests that when this is not feasible, simply looking at pictures of nature can bring down stress levels and improve mental health.

What’s one way you can connect with the nature around you today? What’s something you’d like to plan for the future?