There's nothing like spending time in the great outdoors for a mood boost. But why is nature essential to good mental health and well-being? For our latest MQ Open Mind webinar, we explore the relationship between nature and mental health.
Leigh Timmis, world-record-holding adventure cyclist and MQ Ambassador; Dr Jennifer Wild, Associate Professor of Experimental Psychology and MQ-funded researcher; and Catherine Seymore, Head of Research at the Mental Health Foundation, spoke to us about the benefits of spending quality time in nature for our latest MQ Open Mind webinar.
One of the reasons getting out in nature is so helpful is it gets us out of our head. [ ] It really helps us to engage in the five senses.
All of this helps to shift our focus of attention from being quite self-focussed to being externally focussed. We know that when our attention is outside of our heads and we are more externally focussed we have reductions in stress and we feel much more connected to the bigger picture of life. - Dr Jennifer Wild
If you've ever wondered why an awe-inspiring windswept walk leaves you feeling content and at ease, or braving the great British countryside is feels good whatever the weather, then you don't want to miss out on this webinar. Catch up here:
We spoke about what the latest research says about mental health and nature, the inequalities of access to green spaces and what practical steps we can take to take advantage of the mood-boosting qualities of the great outdoors.
It’s a cruel irony that those who are most at risk of developing mental health problems are actually the least likely to have easy access to what we think of as high quality nature spaces. Catherine Seymour – Mental health Foundation.
MQ Ambassador Leigh Timmis, who has travelled all around the world described a question he was once asked by a little girl whilst he was giving a talk in a school.
[I was asked] Where are the happiest people in the world? [ ] The happiest people I met tended to had enough wealth that meant they had the necessities in life and they weren’t afraid of losing it. They lived in communities with a few people or a family in a house, and they worked outside. Doing manual work in nature. And I think that there’s a lot of what we need as human being all within that description.
Thank you to our superb panellists and event attendees.
We can't run events like MQ Open Mind or fund cutting edge mental health research without the generous support of donors like you. During May, if you donate to MQ, your gift will be match funded. That means a £10 donation could fund £20 worth of life-changing research. There's still time to give, so act now to create a brighter future for mental health.
