January can be a hard month, Christmas is over and its cold. Spring feels like a long way away. I find being outside makes me feel so much better! I also see how it helps my participants feel better when we are on session.
Turning Blue to Green!
Here at Myplace we are changing the notorious Blue Monday to Green Monday!
Katrina Martin / 2020VISION
Why not go outside for a walk this Monday? Can you see any plants getting ready for spring? Some trees might have buds on or you might be able to see the start of Snowdrops emerging. With the mild weather I’ve got wildflowers growing already in my garden! Exercise has been proven to boost your mood, even if it’s only a gentle walk!
Don’t let the rain put you off! One of my favourite things to do is listen to the rain, it sounds so peaceful. I even enjoyed listening to the huge gusts of wind that Storm Brendan brought us.
There is still plenty of leaves on the ground and it can be really fun to make pictures with the leaves and other material you find. Why not have a go at making your own green man?
Barn owl by Peter Smith
If it’s dark you could try stargazing, or see what animals you can find awake in the dark.
It might seem too early to be planting anything but you can plant garlic at this time of year or plant microgreens such as pea shoots and some types of lettuce on your window sill. Bring a bit of green inside with you.Â
Exercise has been proven to boost your mood, even if it’s only a gentle walk!
Ben Hall/2020VISION
At this time of year; it’s really important to feed the birds, most of the berries are gone at this time of year and food is scarce. You can make upcycle plastic bottles into bird feeders, gather some willow to make a wreath and cover it in peanut butter and seeds. I often make bird feeders out of oranges on my sessions, scoop out the inside and fill the skin with a mix of peanut butter and seeds, poke a stick through the skin to make a perch and hang the bird feeder up on a tree. Why not hang some bird feeders out and then watch them to see what birds visit?
Anytime I feel sad or overwhelmed I make a point of going outside and I start to feel better. I take a few deep breaths of the bracing air and feel my worries start to recede. As I walk I enjoy listening to the sounds my feet make on the different surfaces of the floor. I also enjoy looking around to see if I can find any birds or deer. Even a squirrel is exciting!
So why not head outside this Monday and change to Blue Monday to Green Monday?
What is Myplace?
Myplace is an exciting and innovative ecotherapy project delivered by the Wildlife Trust for Lancashire, Manchester and North Merseyside in partnership with the Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust
Myplace empowers people and their communities to connect with local environments in order to learn new skills, build resilience and improve their physical health and mental wellbeing.
