Blue tit (Parus caeruleus) perched on branch in snow, UK - Mark Hamblin/2020VISION
With feeling the pressure to make the ‘perfect’ Christmas being thrown at us from every direction, having to socialise more than usual and not have our usual amount of relaxation time, a changed routine and not mention how much everything costs, the festive season can all feel a bit much.
The Bay, with Lancashire Wildlife Trust Nature & Wellbeing Service, have got lots of advice to keep you well this festive season, utilising the 5 Ways to Wellbeing.
Retired couple sitting on bench, enjoying the view at Arne, (RSPB) Nature Reserve, Dorset, UK. September 2011. (Model released). - Ross Hoddinott/2020VISION
This may feel like strange advice in a month where you feel like you’ve seen everyone and their mother, but taking the time to actually connect with someone and really talk is helpful to our wellbeing.
Why not go for a walk with someone at a local park or nature reserve, or take a flask of tea or coffee, sit on a bench and have a proper catch up, while getting some much needed sunlight. As an added bonus, the fresh air and a bit of exercise will also help your wellbeing!
Just saying hi to someone in the street and wishing them a good day can really make us feel better too.
The folks at TED have got a playlist of talks on 'How to connect with others' - they're all under 18 minutes, so why not take a look while you're making a brew?
You don’t necessarily need to be heading down the gym and pumping iron, but just taking a walk or riding your bike can really lift your spirits (make sure it’s not an ice rink outside though!). Sometimes it’s great to just pop a playlist of your favourite songs on and have a dance around the kitchen!
If you need a bit more motivation to get outside, then give yourself a purpose to do it – walk to the post office, decide to go and identify some trees with your iNaturalist app, or pick up some litter.
Lancashire Wildlife Trust Nature and Wellbeing Project Officer, Rory tells us about how he is going to remain active over Christmas:
Taking notice is really important to keep ourselves grounded, and easy way to do this is connecting with the 5 senses – sight, sound, smell, taste and touch. Kirsty guides us through how she connects with her senses in this video:
Learning doesn’t have to be a big thing, it might just be reading a book or getting out your iNaturalist app on a walk – even something as small as following some new creators, such as conservationists on social media.
The human brain loves soaking up new information, and even better if you then share what you’ve learnt with someone else, also ticking the box for connect!
This may sound like a tricky one, but it can be as simple as popping a few pennies into a charity box at the supermarket, or as our trainee for The Bay, Chloe, likes to do - baking some cookies and sharing them with friends, family or colleagues.
(Of course, if you fancy volunteering for The Bay or your local Wildlife Trust, we wouldn’t say no either…)
These are just some of the ways that you can keep yourself feel well this winter, but if you feel you’d like some guidance on how to implement the 5 ways into your life, then why not join our nature and wellbeing sessions, either with Lancashire Wildlife Trust, or The Bay: A blueprint for recovery in the new year? Head to the links below to fill out a referral form.
