Cat Meffan

HOW NATURE HELPED MY MENTAL HEALTH

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This week I was left a little lost when I had A LOT of emotions going on in my head, I thought I had a therapy session booked in and then it turned out that I’d got my dates mixed up. I was suddenly left feeling extremely lost and alone with a hell of a lot of thoughts running through my head. I’d geared myself up for talking about it and now I was left without that outlet that has become so important to me.

I walked into the kitchen and Rob asked what was up, I explained and he said “You just need to do what you normally do. Get outside in nature, take some time away from technology and be with your thoughts in the fresh air.” Why didn’t I think of that?! I usually do, but in that moment I felt so overwhelmed that I needed someone to remind me of my tools. Mindful walking is something I’ve done for years and it can be done in many different ways.

On Thursday I walked through the fields, head hung low, just in a whirlpool of thoughts. I then sat on a bench and began to work on being present and being mindful. This means just noticing and being aware of everything going on in your outer world. I noticed the colour of the sky, the clouds, the temperature, the distant sounds of cars, the way the grass moved in the wind and many other things. I cried for a while. Not for any reason in particular, just because I had something to release and then I just sat for a little longer. I felt stuck for a few minutes, too drained to keep walking, but then I brought my mind back to nature. I started to focus on my breath and the beauty of everything around me. I took my mind to the present moment and for a while I had no troubles, no worries, it was just being. Being in nature.

My walk back home was so different to the walk there. My head held a little higher, my mind being more aware of everything around me. I felt a little lighter and ready to tackle everything I needed to at home.

With the excitement of city life taking over our modern world and the rushing around masking our emotions, it’s now more than ever that we need to spend time in nature. I get asked a lot about how I’ve managed to make meditation part of my daily routine, but what I want to get across to you is the many different forms of meditation. Sometimes I’ll sit for 20 minutes in silence at home, sometimes it’ll be a quiet 5 minutes focusing on my breath in between meetings and sometimes it’ll be mindful walking, being aware of nature, noticing everything around me.

There’s no right or wrong when it comes to meditation and mindfulness, mindful walking is just one tool I use. The important thing is that we’re working on it, we’re finding time to connect with what’s going on inside, but also using mindfulness and a healthy exterior focus to calm us.

I hugely recommend mindful walking as a way of reconnecting with YOU. Even if you live in a city, there are parks you can go to and quiet roads you can walk down. Just try to remove yourself from the hustle and bustle of everyday life and spend a moment noticing how beautiful nature really is.

Love, Cat x

Wearing:

Jumper – The Sports Edit

Trousers – Free People (similar)

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