What nature has given me and my wellbeing

A love of being outside

Growing up I was lucky enough to have a Dad who was sporty. He really encouraged me to enjoy running around with a ball and generally being outside, and I embraced that. Looking back, I can see that sport and fresh air became my survival mechanism. I wasn't very academic, but I enjoyed school because I was passionate about sport.

As an adult, I have continued to love being fit, and I still embrace a challenge. I've spent a lot of time hiking in the Lake District, I've done triathlons, marathons, walked 26 miles for cancer charities, and cycled to Paris twice. If I don't go outside regularly, I get quite stressed - I've found it's essential for my mental, as well as physical, wellbeing.

As a result of having that dual lifeline - a love of exercise, and a love of the outdoors - I had never really struggled with my mental health until I started getting a bit older. This is where I've really been reminded of the importance of nature - not only for me, but for my mother, my daughter, and my partner as well.

Noticing nature

Over the years I have seen my mother struggle with anxiety and depression, but more recently I have seen how being outdoors has helped her. I recommended that she join a Ramblers Group, and that has made a huge difference. She has got a lot fitter in her seventies, and she's wonderful now at naming the birds and trees and flowers - something she does with my daughter, which I love.

I think it's so important to open a child's mind to the natural world, and it's a pleasure to see my mother and daughter together, exploring. There was research not that long ago that showed simply noticing nature has a positive impact on how we feel - I can attest to that, and I want to give that to my daughter.

There's so much natural beauty out there to see - even in the cities, there's always something naturally beautiful you can find if you look.

Managing mental health

Getting older has been harder than I expected it to be. I have found myself getting more anxious than I used to - some of that's age and hormones, and some of it is probably to do with becoming a mum comparatively late, and seeing the world through a different lens. It's also tiring trying to do your best at work, as a mother, and wanting to go out and be active. I'm definitely more emotional than I used to be.

I have a huge amount of admiration for anyone who struggles with their mental health. I see my mum force herself to get outside when she's having a bad time, because nature does help her get through the dark patches. That takes enormous strength, and I think often it's just the routine of it that carries her through and makes her do it.

Every birthday I feel lucky to have made it another year, but I worry for my daughter - she's a naturally more anxious person than I am. Also, we live in a world where mental health issues are rising at dramatic rates. I don't want her to be preoccupied with anxiety, spending all her time exposed to blue light, and being inside. However, she has inherited my love of the outdoors, being active, and feeling motivated, and I see that as a real saving grace.

It was for that reason we chose to move to Devon a year ago. We lived in a fairly rural area anyway, but there were still a lot of cars, which I didn’t like, and I really wanted a lifestyle for us and our daughter where being outside and connected to nature was front and centre of every experience. I feel incredibly blessed to be here.

Finding balance

That's not to say that the transition hasn't had its challenges. The move to working from home full time is definitely harder than people think. I am incredibly committed to my job and my team, and when you're at home on your own the instinct is to overcompensate because you worry people will think you're not working hard enough.

I have had to really consider my routine and how I communicate to make it clear what I'm doing, but to also make sure I still stop for lunch or don't feel like I need to be at the computer all evening. I am getting there with that, and one way we have tried to create balance, is my fiance and I go for a walk along the coast path at lunch time and see how far we get in half an hour. It's those little things that make the choice to live here so magical - just moments from your desk, you find this beautiful world, where you can have a little time enjoying fresh air, exercise, and quality time together.

I can see how working from home is not for everyone; it's an intense way to be, and you have to be disciplined about it, but I wouldn't change living in Devon for anything.

Changing with the seasons

In my twenties and thirties I was all about the summer, and I struggled with the winter months. However, as I've got older I've come to appreciate the seasons more - maybe it's because my other half is Scottish and he really embraces the colder months. I now find winter so much easier than I used to, and quite like the storms and the rain. My daughter has inspired me with the rain as well - she loves splashing in the puddles, and it makes me wonder what age we lose that joy? When you see it from a child's point of view, it makes such a difference!

The first time I really missed the autumn and the spring was when I was travelling - I went from Africa, straight to Australia, and then to New Zealand. It was there that I walked through a field - it was damp, and the autumn leaves were touching my feet, and I suddenly had this wave of missing it - it was like home. I couldn't believe I needed the seasons - I had never realised how important they were until that moment. The change is important.

Learning to surf

In Devon, life is all about being outdoors, and as we settle into it we look for ways to embrace that all year round. One way is surfing - you can surf here all year, so we have all started to learn.

I really want to get into it, not just because it's a great sport and a wonderful way to be outside, but because it's an amazing culture and community. Learning is an experience in itself, not least because I am much more fearful as I get older, but I don't want to be, so I'm trying to make an effort for my little girl. I make myself do things that scare me because I don't want her to be afraid of the world. I want to embrace the fear. I'm learning.

Surfing is hard work and it's exhausting - I definitely don't 'pop up' on the board - I crawl to stand up! But it's a beautiful thing to be in the sea when it's cold and you're battered about - your mind is in the moment because it can't be anywhere else. I want my daughter to grow up with that - I know it will help her mentally, with her peers, and to have a hobby - that's so important.

How spas support wellbeing

While it might not seem obvious, the spa world has helped me to understand my connection with nature. I had not been to many spas before I joined Spabreaks.com, but being here has opened my eyes to the value of relaxation and time for yourself. It's incredible how they create spaces where you can simply be, and I love that a lot of them ask that you don't use your phone in the spa area.

The spas with outside space are the ones for me, but a lot of them have very cleverly created indoor spaces that are the closest thing I've experienced to truly bringing the benefits of the outside, in.

Now I understand what they offer so much more than I used to, and I think it's really important that people like Abi (Spabreaks.com Founder), have pioneered this way of talking about wellbeing in a more accessible way, showing the wide variety of experiences that spas have to offer.

They can help to bring that calm, connection, and even that connectivity with nature to places all over the world - including cities, and they gently guide you into finding what works for you when it comes to your own peace and wellbeing.

I feel incredibly lucky to know how important nature is for me and my wellbeing, and to be able to pass that onto my daughter. However, I'm also lucky to have the opportunity to keep learning and discovering, and spas have been an unexpected gateway to doing that.