There is no shortage of people who look to nature to find their answers in times of suffering. Solidarity with mother nature and her creations can be a wonderful time for reflection and grounding. Although not widely talked about, many people also venture into the great natural wonders of our earth for mental health support. Our resident blog writer, Jess, talks a bit about why she spends so much time outside and how it helped her find herself. 

Resilience
There’s nothing like toughing it through a hailstorm on a hill or trudging through a bog you’ve accidentally wandered into to knowing that once it’s over, you’ll be back to the glorious high of being outside. ‘Embracing the suck’ as it’s often known to outdoor enthusiasts, I find spending my down time in the Scottish hills teaches me a lot about how to endure discomfort for a greater purpose and shows me how resilient I am when I put my mind to it. After all, life isn’t a wonderful ride down the yellow brick road and learning how to endure as well as thrive is a big part of living life.

Solitude
Something I’ve always struggled with in my life is conforming within the judgement and opinions of others. I’m no stranger to having a bit of an identity crisis because I’ve realised, I’ve been dumbly following along the paths of others without stopping and thinking, “wait, do I want this?”. Taking time out by myself - or with my adventurous canine companions, Caesar and Ed - gives me time to shake people off of my back and go into myself to figure out who I am again. As much as I am a people person, I’m also a lone wolf. There’s a balance between the two for me and ensuring I spend plenty of time in the countryside with my own thoughts never fails to remind me of my intentions.

Strength
My partner says to me a lot, “you’re fitter than you think you are”. This used to really bug me when he was trying to make me do more push ups or run further, but now I can really appreciate what he meant. Whether I’m running, hiking or even just going for a walk, it’s just as much about my mental fitness as it is my physical fitness. How easy is it to talk yourself out of leaving your cosy bed to go exercise? Far too much so! I find the same sometimes when I’m out, trying to give in to my mind telling me I’ve done enough and should go home. I surprise myself often at how far I can go and how capable I am in different environments out there, so when I’m in a rut – I remind myself of what I’m capable of. I’m much stronger than my mind leads me to believe.

Whether you live in the countryside or the city, there’s so many ways to introduce outdoor activities into your routine and your wellbeing will thank you for it.  There’s also some fantastic podcasts out there where people open up about how their mental health took them to somewhere more wild. Here's some I recommend: 

• Underneath it all
• She Explores
• Of Mountains and Minds

Do you find it difficult to understand the values of others without forming judgement if they do not align with your own? You're not alone in finding open-mindedness to be difficult. Our minds have evolved to analyse everything in order to make sense of the world around us. Because of our conscious freedom, we each uniquely have our own opinions, values and priorities that make us who we are. The trouble lies when we encounter someone who is so varyingly contrast to us. We can't understand them. If we feel the need to vocalise our discomfort, this is likely to end in a disagreement. Being close-minded can negatively impact our lives as we shut off a multitude of possibilities and culture, so how can we become more comfortable with being open-minded instead? 

• Acknowledge. The first step to any self-acceptance is by acknowledging your tendencies. Admitting your biases can be difficult, but we'll gain a greater understanding of the limits we set ourselves. Our brain subconsciously uses cognitive biases to process incoming information, which essentially means we unknowingly think and act by our biases. Becoming aware of our biases can help us to make clear decisions in response to current situations - not letting anxiety or preconception steer the wheel. Think back to times when you were not open to other's opinions and ask yourself why that was? 
• Reflect. Next step is to reflect on everyday situations where you find yourself using those biases to form your decisions. Are there certain people you wouldn't take advice from? Why is that? Are you open-minded in some contexts and not others? Environmental triggers can also impact our ability to be open-minded so consider how happiness and discomfort play a role in your reactions. 
• Listen. Now let's start putting our open-mindedness into practice. One of the best ways to open yourself up to opinions that may be different from your own is to really listen to people. Your goal is to truly understand what they have to say without any judgment at all - positive or negative. Try slowing down when you're speaking to someone, allowing them space to communicate and time for you to think of your well-balanced response. 
• Gratitude. The final step is to show our appreciation. Gratitude is one of the most powerful ways to show acceptance for things we find difficult. Cultivating gratefulness not only flips your mind to see things more positively, it'll also teach you how to see strength in others. It's easier said then done so practice this at first on your own so you have time to reflect properly - try keeping a journal for you to work through stickiness and jot down your appreciation for others. 

Open-mindedness can lead to greater creativity and innovation, as well as strengthen the relationships around you. It may take a little bit of work, but with this effort you'll see an abundance of growth and development. ​

If you've ever caught yourself rerunning the same unwanted scenario over and over again in your brain like a stuck record - wishing only that it never happened in the first place - you're not alone. Known as 'sticky' thoughts for their ability to stay put no matter how much you try to move on from them, it sometimes can feel like we spend way too much time in our own heads. 

Whether you want to be free of the constraints of your mind or just want to practice more awareness, I want to share with you a simple practice of observation. With a little practice and some compassion, we can free up more space in our heads and break our minds addiction to the story.

1. Start this meditation by slowing down your breathing and settling into your space. Focus on your breath and use counts to equalise as you breathe in and breathe out.
2. When ready, let go of your breath and allow space in your mind for your thoughts to arise. Invite in all thoughts - big or small - to come up to the surface. You could take this a step further and visualise this as a slow moving stream with your thoughts in the form of logs sitting on the surface.
3. Practice picking up one of those logs and labelling it for what it is - an errand to run - a memory - an opinion - and then let go of it without getting pulled into its story. 
4. Watch each thought float by, without noticing their content or emotional charge, and be carried away into the horizon. Practice your ability to pull yourself back to the observer every time you're sucked into a thought. 

This simple meditation technique is a really effective way of practicing your own mental awareness and can help you build more resilience against unwanted distractions. Remember, we are not our thoughts and we do not always need to know their story. 

If you'd like to practice a longer, more advanced version of this observation meditation then get in touch with me at [email protected] to arrange 1-2-1 sessions in person or online. ​