Have you heard about the enormous benefits of spending time in nature? This is known as ecotherapy: healing through nature.
Many psychologists have begun using ecotherapy with their patients, as it has been shown to have positive effects on people with anxiety, depression, attention deficit and a range of other psychological and medical conditions.
You can even give it a try and unwind by raising silkworms—a simple activity that still takes some effort and can certainly help you.
Nature is beautiful and divine, and it has given us life. Unfortunately, we don't make the most of it; instead, we prefer to stay cooped up in front of a computer.
We live our lives through a screen without realising that this harms our health, when the cheapest medicine is right outside our door.
What Is Ecotherapy?
Simply put, it's spending time in nature. Every day, we pass a tree or a landscape and feel the wind and sun. But for it to have an effect, we need to be aware of it. In other words, there's little point in going somewhere beautiful if you spend the whole time on your phone or thinking about your problems.
The aim of this therapy is to connect with nature and, in turn, with yourself: immerse yourself in green landscapes and beaches, feel the sun's energy and let it flow through your body and mind. I know it sounds very poetic, and you may be sceptical; that's your right. But I'm sure you have nothing to lose by giving it a try.
How Can I Practise Ecotherapy?
Let's get started. Here are a few simple tips to help you begin to enjoy the benefits of nature.
Outdoor Activities
If you're someone who likes to learn and do everything at home, it's time to change that. Start by doing an outdoor activity: join a dance group, such as a Zumba class; take a workshop in a park; try a water sport; or do anything that gets you out of the house. Better still if it's surrounded by a beautiful landscape.
Don't always read in your room. Head to the park or the entrance to your home, where there's that leafy tree. Get comfortable on the ground or in a chair and enjoy a good book, taking in your surroundings and feeling the weather around you.
Landscapes in Images and Sounds
It's true that we don't always have time to go for a walk or lie on the beach and meditate, but don't worry—here's another option.
Looking at landscape images can also be beneficial, whether as your phone or computer wallpaper or in a collection of postcards. Nature sounds can help, too: the forest, the sea, water, storms or rain. You can find all these sounds on Spotify, YouTube or your favourite music and video search engine. I assure you, they can take your mind to a calmer place and help you think and feel more clearly.
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Care, Love, Embrace
To connect with nature, you need to treat it well. You can’t expect to feel connected while taking a walk if you toss a wrapper onto the pavement or mistreat the trees.
Take care of and respect the world you live in. I’m not asking you to take part in every environmental activity; simply avoid causing harm. Put your rubbish in a bin, clean up the place where you’ve been, occasionally pick up something you didn’t drop, water a tree, and don’t tread on the flowers.
If you have flowers and trees at home, don’t overlook them. Remember that they are living beings that feel, even if they experience things differently from humans. Try talking to them, hug a tree—I promise you’ll feel wonderful. It fills you with energy; somehow, you feel understood and loved, and it gives you a sense of well-being. Listen to the birds singing and enjoy it.
So now you know: the next time you leave home, welcome nature with love and be mindful of the landscapes around you.
