Tags: nature, prescribe nature, survival mode, thrive
Hi. Thanks for joining me on today’s live video. My name is Chris Lindsay.
This is the third video in the series on how to get out of survival mode. Today I want to talk about prescribing yourself nature. I had a friend who shared with me an interesting post about doctors in Shetland prescribing nature to their patients. Instead of describing them a drug or pill, they were prescribed getting out into nature.
I thought this was pretty amazing, doctor’s in Shetland, in conjunction with the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) have created a leaflet over 12 months with different activities each month to get patients into nature, doing things like touching the sea, creating sea shore art, tracing rivers to their source as well as quite quirky things like, burying your face in the grass. Quite interesting things to encourage their patients to get out into nature.
With the benefits backed by research these include; helping to manage diabetes, mental illness, obesity, heart disease, reduce depression, anxiety and stress, reduce blood pressure and ultimately make you feel happier.
I started to look into where most of us are living and it looks like, based on statistics, we are mostly living in urban areas, towns and cities. Over 90% of our time is spent indoors. That’s only two hours a day actually outdoors, and part of that time may be commuting to and from the office.
This leads to less time outdoors and ultimately last time in nature.
If nature has so many benefits, why are more doctors not trying to prescribe nature as a way to help their patients manage stress, anxiety, obesity and depression. It’s free. nature is free. It doesn’t cost anything to go outside. I think we should be prescribing nature to ourselves.
I want to prescribe nature to you this week. I want to encourage you, to challenge you, to go out into nature and to spend time sitting in nature, absorbing it. Not just passing through because so often these days we can be walking long, staring at our phones, distracted by what we’re going to have for dinner or what’s going to happen at the office. Even while walking through the urban park on our way into the office.
I want to challenge you to spend time in nature, prescribe nature to yourself, this week. Spend time in nature and see how that makes you feel. I think it’s going to make you feel better, I know personally when in nature, hiking or for a walk, I always feel my mood lifted. I feel better if I’ve got any worries or concerns this has helped to work through them.
How can you not feel better when you’re surrounded by the beauty of nature, streams, trees, leaves, flowers, animals and birds. My challenge for you this week is get out into nature, prescribe nature to yourself, not just this week but start spending regular time in nature. Be your own doctor, prescribe nature to yourself. I’d love for you to tell me how you got on. Comment below.
Jim Rohn puts it best. “Success is nothing more than a few simple disciplines practiced daily.” Are you ready to take your life to the next level? To start moving in a new direction? I would love nothing more that to see you go from stuck to succeeding; from surviving to thriving.
“Success is nothing more than a few simple disciplines practiced daily.” ~ Jim Rohn
I have created a seven (7) day challenge, for you. It introduces one new discipline I practice everyday.
“Success is not to be pursued; it is to be attracted by the person you become.” ~ Jim Rohn
Seven days will not change your destination, but if you commit to getting up everyday determined to get from the day and not just through it, you can change the direction of your life in seven short days.
“You cannot change your destination overnight, but you can change your direction overnight.” ~ Jim Rohn
Ready?