April is Stress Awareness Month

A month to raise awareness about the causes of stress, as well as how we can better cope when life feels stressful...

A reminder to practice being kind, compassionate and accepting towards ourselves and others, so we can offer some goodness among the difficulties we face.

At Your Park we reckon one way to #LeadwithLove this month, could be by spending time out in our local green spaces, connecting with nature.

And we can back this one up with science...

We may already know from our own experiences, as well as what the research says, that being in nature can be relaxing and have stress-reducing benefits, helping us look after ourselves when navigating life's twists and turns (1). But did you know spending time in nature has also been shown to help us care for and support others? (2)

In one experiment, passersby were more likely to stop and help pick up someone’s dropped glove after walking through a park, than those tested before they entered the park (3) and in another, people who had just watched an awe-inspiring video of nature scenes shared more lottery tickets with a stranger than those who watched other types of videos(4). Nature may even have these loving effects on us from an early age - little pre-school children also show less emotional and peer-related issues the more engagement with nature they had (5).

On top of this, the more time we spend with and connecting with nature, the more likely we are to act and live in ways that look after our environment and planet (6).

So, spending time in nature helps us share the love in many ways!

Here are five ways we can infuse some nature-based love into our lives...

Treat yourself to a nature date

Is there a special nature spot you like spending time in? Maybe it’s being by your window or sitting on a certain bench in your local park?

This month, how about taking yourself there, and making a date of it. It can be for as little as 5-10 minutes...just in whatever way feels good, encouraging you to enjoy a special moment of appreciation with the nature around you.

Head out for a Spring Clean

Go for a litter pick in your local green park.

This is something you can do on your own or with others. If you need some litter picking equipment – you can apply to get bags and pickers on the Council websites. Help clean up our local green spaces for the wildlife and for the community.

For Bristol: https://bristolwastecompany.co.uk/household/get-involved/litter-picking-kits/
For Bath: https://www.bathnes.gov.uk/organise-litter-pick

Share the beauty of spring by postcard

If you come across one of the wonders of spring this month, after spending a moment to appreciate this for yourself, how about sharing the love by sending a photograph to a friend or loved one. Or for those who like drawing, get out those pens and pencils!

Plant hope for the future by sowing some seeds!

April is a great month for seed sowing. Whether you have a windowsill or little outdoor space – how about spending some time homing some seeds in soil and sharing your love by watering them over the next few weeks? This is something you can do on your own, or with others.

If you’re looking for help on where to start, the gardening charity Thrive has some information on their website: https://www.thrive.org.uk/get-gardening/sowing-seeds-in-trays

Lend a helping hand by volunteer with a local park project

Whether you’re an individual looking to get involved with projects or a corporation looking to do some good in your local community – there are various ways to help out in local park projects across Bristol and Bath.

Visit the link below to check out how you can get involved: https://yourpark.org.uk/volunteer

Support our work

You could also show the love by supporting our work.

Donate

1. Markevych, I., Schoierer, J., Hartig, T., Chudnovsky, A., Hystad, P., Dzhambov, A. M., ... & Fuertes, E. (2017). Exploring pathways linking greenspace to health: Theoretical and methodological guidance. Environmental research, 158, 301-317.

2. Goldy, S. P., & Piff, P. K. (2020). Toward a social ecology of prosociality: why, when, and where nature enhances social connection. Current opinion in psychology, 32, 27-31.

3. Gue ´guen N, Stefan J: “Green altruism”: short immersion in natural green environments and helping behavior. Environ Behav 2016, 48:324-342.

4. Piff, P. K., Dietze, P., Feinberg, M., Stancato, D. M., & Keltner, D. (2015). Awe, the small self, and prosocial behavior. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 108(6), 883–899. https://doi.org/10.1037/pspi0000018

5. Sobko T, Jia Z, Brown G: Measuring connectedness to nature in preschool children in an urban setting and its relation to psychological functioning. PLoS One 2018, 13:e0207057.

6. Richardson, M., & McEwan, K. (2018). 30 days wild and the relationships between engagement with nature’s beauty, nature connectedness and well-being. Frontiers in Psychology, 9, 1500.

April is Stress Awareness Month