The wellbeing benefits of nature are well-documented.
Many NHS trusts are already issuing green prescriptions, while the government has committed to helping people engage with green spaces as part of its long-term environmental plans.
A recent Natural England report found that 90% of surveyed adults saw nature as beneficial to their mental health and wellbeing.
Countryside walks and bouts of forest bathing can help to ease anxiety while providing physical exercise. And yet, the effects of spending time in nature close to water could be even more pronounced.
Whether you head to the ocean, go fishing at a local lake or tend your garden pond, here’s how to engage with water and improve your wellbeing.
1. Think quality over quantity
The health and wellbeing benefits of time spent close to water begin after as little as two hours a week.
What’s more, you can break these two hours into smaller chunks (of not less than 10 minutes), helping you to fit them around your busy life.
The more hours you can spend in nature close to water the better, but the latest research suggests that the health benefits, while still there, begin to plateau after around five hours a week.
Be sure that you think about the amount of time you spend outdoors but focus on the quality of that time too.
Bigger isn’t always better. You might find that the small pond tucked into the corner of your garden offers a relaxing, anxiety-busting refuge that you can’t get elsewhere.
For others, the wildness of standing on the shores of a wide expanse of lake, or the sheer power of nature on a windswept beach might offer the biggest restorative hit.
What works will be individual to you so don’t be afraid to get out there and try new things.
2. Find the right way for you
If you’ve ever tried to take up exercise or stick to a diet, you’ll know how difficult it can be to form new habits.
As with exercise and dieting, the key is to find something that you enjoy. If it doesn’t feel like a diet or exercise, you’ll find it much easier to keep it up. That might mean joining a local sports team or avoiding the diets that require onerous calorie counting.
The same method will help you to find the combination of nature and water that works for you.
It could be as simple as changing your dog-walking route, exploring your local area, or re-engaging with your garden.
Find a way to fit nature and time spent close to water into your weekly routine and it will quickly become a habit. And, potentially, one with huge health and wellbeing benefits.
3. You might need to get your hands dirty
Time spent in nature around water can help to relieve stress, reduce anxiety, and help to improve your physical health through fresh air and exercise.
Simply being in nature, though, might not be the best way to maximise your time.
Engaging with nature – getting your hands dirty or incorporating the natural world into a mental or physical activity – could be even more beneficial.
There are several ways you might do this.
Gardening
Tending to a garden or allotment with a pond or water feature is a really simple way to get into the fresh air while getting your hands dirty.
There’s always something to be done and your focus will shift throughout the years as the seasons pass.
What’s more, you can be as energetic or relaxed as you like.
Water sports or fishing
If you want to engage with water more energetically and dramatically you might consider taking up a water sport.
Whether you fancy canoeing, windsurfing or even water-skiing, there are sporting lakes dotted all over the country. You’ll find hireable equipment and teachers on hand to give lessons.
Buying your own equipment won’t always come cheap but hiring first will give you an idea of whether you like your chosen activity. Failing that, there is always the supermarket “middle aisles”, so keep an eye out for the occasional bargain!
If you’re a keen fisherman, you’ll already know the benefits of this pursuit. But if it’s something you’ve always thought about taking up, do it now!
Forest bathing
Getting your hands dirty might be as simple as walking alongside a forest stream and stopping still for a moment.
Taking the time to stop and breathe and be thankful, listening to the trickle of running water, could be just the medicine you need.
Photography or journalling
If you have a hobby that you can combine with the great outdoors, why not give it a try?
Photography, painting, or journaling could all be good excuses to get into nature and document your time spent close to water.
Birdwatching
As a twitcher, you might already know of all the local wetlands areas and bird sanctuaries. If you’ve never been before, though, might now be the perfect time to take it up?
The slow pace, the beautiful scenery, and the chance to spot some of the UK’s wide range of native and visiting bird species could see your anxiety levels drop.
