THE IN AND OUT OF ANXIETY

FWR Says:  Let’s look at Anxiety – Inside and Out


Richard Louv, Chairman of the Children and Nature Networks, says:

“A growing body of research links more time in nature with a reduction of stress and depression”

Ours is an age of anxiety. Ours is also an age moving from rural to urban life, that is, from trees to cement. The question here is:

“How much of us is linked to nature?”

The big answer came from Thoreau 100 years ago:

“Civilization is found in wilderness”

Translated – we are part of nature and nature is part of us.

Looking at some anxiety facts:

     We relax when we move from the cement to the trees

     Walking is now is big – for both physical and mental health

     We look for nature in the garden, the park or in camping

     Golf is good but fishing is better

In today’s lifestyle, we are losing touch with nature. We now spend our time in boxes – home, office and car. Older generations lived in the country, were fed from the garden, and walked as much as they drove.

In our cement generation, we are hemmed in with others, night and day. We are seldom alone. The constant togetherness breeds complex relationships, often the sources of anxiety. Our sole nature contact is often only the plant on the windowsill.

Here are suggestions from Dr. Louv:

     Plant a garden, a shrub or a tree

     Encourage the children to play in the dirt - caves, holes, forts

    Create a nature club for families to share outdoor experiences

FWR Says:  There is no beauty as great as in nature - the sunset, the countryside, the river. It seems that we are created to be part of nature, not separated, not anxious.