Don’t distance yourself from nature

In these challenging and anxious times, please don’t distance yourself from nature.  There is now much scientific evidence that spending time outside in nature is good for our physical and mental health.  (See links here)

Head outside to your balcony, backyard, park, beach, forest etc.  Smell a flower, lie on the grass, watch a butterfly, or dig in some soil.

Crafting is also good for our health, it focuses our mind while doing something creative.  Repetitive crafts are very soothing and meditative for people of all ages.  Look at the ideas on this website for inspiration, then come up with your own unique creations.

Definitely practice social distancing, but don’t distance yourself from nature…

Nature crafts as therapy

It was great hearing about research into the effects of nature based therapy, at the Therapeutic Landscapes Conference in Adelaide recently.  There is now clear evidence to support the belief that spending time in the natural world is good for mental health and well being.  Indoor nature crafts are a way of bringing the therapeutic benefits of nature to people who are unable to spend time outside. The meditative and relaxing process of arranging an assortment of seeds and other natural objects into a mandala pattern is wonderful therapy.  The simple act of handling a variety of natural materials gives multiple sensory benefits. Creating a collage on paper using fresh flowers and glue is another easy nature craft enjoyed by people of all ages.

Here are some photos from the crafting workshop I delivered at the conference.  It was a lovely group of participants, and some were very pleasantly surprised at their own creativity!  I didn’t doubt it, encouragement is all that is needed 🙂

nature-mandalas-seeds-seedpods

The natural materials were arranged in a pattern on a circular mat, a photo was taken when complete, then the artwork was disassembled so the materials could be reused.
flower-leaf-nature-collage-beautiful-craft