The View From the Verandah #8: Centering Yourself in Nature after the Silly Season

Hello Lovely Steemians,

It's such a beautiful morning in my part of the world. The birds are calling to each other, the cicadas are providing a deafening soundtrack fit to outdo the front row of preteen groupies at a One Direction concert . According to a professor at Sydney University they have risen from the ground in plague proportions this year- that is the cicadas , not the preteen groupies...although...

Source

So here's today's "View"

Christmas is over and in a few days - after New Years Eve - the silly season can be put to rest for another year.

So it's almost time to start thinking about our goals, aspirations and priorities for 2018.

But before that - maybe it's time to take some time. Just to chill, be in the moment, commune with nature - okay my inner hippy is coming out now but I promise I won't start singing Kumbayah.

We aren't really church going people, but we certainly do have an interest in spirituality and I'd like to think we do our best to live by spiritual principles. We would rather connect with God, spirit, universal energy - whatever you want to call it - when we are in the outdoors, whether it be out bush-walking in a national park or going for a swim or a surf down at the beach.

Long Jetty Board Walk

Living on our little piece of paradise with plenty of land, trees and wildlife surrounding us also gives us an opportunity to connect on a daily basis. Being in balance with our spirit seems to attract balance to everything else, meaning we feel better, work better, love better.

Our resident Tawny Frog Mouth couple

Zoe Myers, an urban designer from the University of Western Australia, says that that city dwellers have a 20 per cent higher chance of suffering anxiety and an almost 40 per cent greater likelihood of developing depression. Her research also shows that people in urban areas who live close to areas of green space are less likely to suffer from poor mental health.

Sydney's Botanic Gardens, close to offices and apartments

I know from myself that exposure to nature can increase my own mental calmness, decrease any agitation that I might be feeling and improve the creative thought process.

Nature helps my creative process. Love working outside

As our cities expand, we often lose our green-spaces, as they make way for housing, roads and infrastructure. In planning for new urban developments, planting trees in parks, gardens or streets has many benefits. Trees bring shade and cool down temperature extremes.

In Sydney we are lucky enough to retain large strips of nature so close to the CBD...for the time being anyway...

They also reduce air pollution and provide habitat for animals (e.g birds and animals) which can bring the sounds of nature back to the suburbs. I think seeing nature and hearing the sounds of nature make many people feel happy. (I'm just about over the cacophony of cicadas though i have to admit!)

Get out and have some fun in nature

So before you settle down to work out your 2018 plans take some time out to get in tune in nature, center yourself, be in the present moment and at peace. Think about bringing nature back into your living space, whether it's pot plants on a balcony, or planting a tree in the garden

Thanks again for letting me ramble,

Til next time Steem on with Love and Light

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