As someone who works in wellbeing but thrives on wandering off on an adventure any chance I get, I often find myself doing an awkward balancing act between two very different worlds. In the adventure world, I’m surrounded by people whose horizons are huge, who spend a lot of time outdoors and have come to care deeply about nature and the problems it’s facing. However, my work often takes me right to the other end of the scale.
One of the things we do at Recreate-U is help people get outside and into nature, connecting with others and being physically active through things like allotment gardening and walking groups. When our clients first come to us, a lot of them say it’s the first time in years, if not ever, that they’ve spent any time outdoors or in green spaces. They’re often completely disconnected from nature.
Interestingly, a lot of them also say that the session was the high point of their week and they wish they did spend more time outdoors. When we ask them why they don’t, a few things stand out.
There are some obvious reasons, like living in places that are 98% concrete or where public transport consists of one bus per hour if you’re lucky.
But there are plenty of less visible reasons too. At first, these like to disguise themselves as lack of interest. Sometimes, it genuinely is. But very often, as we get to know people better, the truth comes out.
A lot of them have never had a connection with nature. From childhood on, the outdoors just wasn’t ever something they were exposed to or encouraged to engage with. They feel they don’t belong, don’t feel it’s for people like them, haven’t got the right equipment (even if it’s just a waterproof coat), worry about getting lost, are scared to go out alone, lost their confidence after an illness or injury, have two jobs, three kids and an elderly parent to look after and don’t have five minutes together to think about what they need themselves, and so on and so on.
In the midst of busy lives, the mental load of facing fears and trying something new can end up being a barrier people don’t have the energy to face.
Learning to connect with nature ends up coming a distant second to just making it through the day.
This is bad news for the natural world, because that lack of connection means they’re less likely to care what happens to it. People don’t protect what they don’t love, and don’t love what they don’t know.
The good news is that all a lot of people need to get past those barriers is a little support. It’s a bit like the advice you get given when someone’s grieving or has just had a baby: don’t tell them to let you know if there’s anything you can do, just pick a task and help with it.
Very often, the logistics seem to be the part people can’t get past – picking a place to go, a time to go, knowing what they should bring, knowing if the weather that’s forecast is manageable or means they should call off.
Luckily, those are exactly the sort of things that a lot of people reading this newsletter are likely to do regularly without a second thought. That’s also one of the good parts about trying to find our adventures closer to home. It makes them much easier to share. The picnic lunch or coffee in the woods that feels like a casual local microadventure to someone whose idea of a challenge is running across a country or biking round the world, can look like a pretty big boundary-pushing adventure to someone who doesn’t usually go outside the routine of work, the supermarket and the nearest cafe or pub. And as anyone who’s ever picked up a new hobby or got past the doorstep mile probably knows, once you’ve done something once, it’s easier to do it again.
So why not invite someone along next time you’re heading out – especially if you know someone who is always saying they need to get out more and never actually does?
You never know who might find they love being outside once they get past the fear of doing something new, or who has been hoping and praying for support to get back into something they once loved and not known how to ask.
The important part is offering someone a chance to take a small step towards building a connection to nature and feeling that the outdoors is somewhere they belong – and by extension, beginning to care more about what happens to it.
A BOOK AND A QUOTE TO PONDER
- “We need connection. Connection to our bodies and minds to keep us healthy and well; connection to our immediate and wider communities for companionship and cameraderie; connection to nature for energy and sustenance; and connection to a sense of tenacity and perseverance to give us hope.” – Gemma Margerison, Connected.
A great beginner’s guide to wellbeing, including information, advice and guidance from carefully selected UK wellbeing practitioners. (Yes, this is a shameless self-plug since we were one of them! But there’s some fantastic advice from everyone who took part.)
- “Remember, if you ever need a helping hand, it’s at the end of your arm. As you get older, remember you have another hand: the first is to help yourself, the second is to help others.” – Audrey Hepburn
A SUGGESTION FOR US TO TRY
Share time in nature with someone who might not usually get outdoors much – a family member, a friend, a neighbour, a colleague. You could even turn it into a trade and let them persuade you to try something you might not usually do in return. After all, what’s an adventure but something that pushes you out of your comfort zone?
If you’d like to learn more about Jennie and Recreate-U:
