Tiny Green Breaks

So I think most of us know that spending time in nature is good for our physical, emotional, psychological, social and spiritual wellbeing.  The evidence is building all the time.  The exciting thing for me is that it’s true for all kinds of environments from open spaces and wilderness to parks, gardens and urban spaces.  You don’t have to be able to access idyllic wild spaces to feel the benefits.  In fact, the setting doesn’t seem to matter that much, it’s the connection to green or blue space that has the impact.

The even more exciting thing is that the amount of time you spend in nature or looking at views of nature doesn’t matter that much either, you can benefit from even short periods of time.  That’s why I’m such a fan of the concept of Tiny Green Breaks.  All the evidence shows that we can feel better in as little as 15 minutes especially if we can build that into a regular habit.

But what does ‘feel better’ mean?

Well, the most frequently identified benefits are:

• a more positive mood

• reduced stress and anxiety

• increased self-esteem

• improved personal resilience

• better social connections

Do any of these resonate with you?

Would you really like improvements in any of these areas?

Maybe you could implement a Tiny Green Break habit into your day?

If it makes it more manageable you could think about habit stacking, where you link the Tiny Green Break habit to something you already do.  The obvious ones are commuting and doing the school run but that isn’t always so easy.  How about having your coffee outside first thing in the morning?  Or taking a short walk at some point during the day?  Could you go outside to make phone calls?  Or have meetings or conversations outside?  Maybe walking at the same time?

In an ideal world you could find time for the Tiny Green Break habit to stand alone.  The time to focus and enjoy being outdoors, connecting with nature brings even greater benefits.  Personally I love to practise nature mindfulness to calm my day and make sense of all my thoughts. I can make time for that every day, it’s my non-negotiable.  Could it become one of yours?

So, if you want to feel better, maybe this little habit is worth a try.