This week on the blog, we have some words from Laura, one of our volunteer community correspondents. Laura is our resident expert on mindfulness and enjoying the small things in life. She talks about the importance of creating a positive environment for yourself, incorporating nature into your everyday mindfulness, and looking back into the past. Her words are below.
Feeling comfortable in our environment has never been so important. Looking after our mental health and wellbeing has never been so vital for everyone, especially young people in society. Over the pandemic, there’s been a massive boom in buying pets, houseplants and cultivating an outside space. It shows that looking after the place you live is priceless, and bringing nature into our environment is vital, and it’s important to do so in a safe and eco-friendly way. Society is becoming more invested in recycling and protecting our planet for future generations.
For the first time in one hundred years, the Chelsea Flower Show invited designers to showcase small garden areas and houseplants that help purify the air in which we breathe. There has also been lots of coverage in various news outlets discussing how, now many of us work from home, it’s important to make our ‘new office’ a productive place to create and inspire.
There has also been a big boom in people signing up to online courses and changing their careers. We have seen retail workers moving onto care roles. The market of employment is changing; online and offline peoples creativity is booming. The rising costs of life means that it can be hard to make ends meet, and prioritising creativity in your career is a great way to deal with the day-to-day pressures. After all, a rock can become a diamond with a bit of pressure.
Influencers are working and promoting products all the time, especially on social media. These trends are going nowhere and are part of life these days. Where does that leave our older generation who’s online skills grow further and further apart from society? Some of us are still trying to use social media to seek connection with their friends and families, and trying not to be isolated.
It was the Victorian’s that gave us public parks and it was nice to see more people enjoying using them during the pandemic. Our great outdoor spaces have become more popular again. Recently, more people have recognised parks, with the Jubilee. With over 90 parks and gardens, it is no surprise that Glasgow is known as the Dear Green Space. Here is a wee mindful game; get a pen and paper and write down all the parks you know. Whether you live in Glasgow or not, I’m sure it will surprise you.
Sometimes we need to look back into the past to allow the future to grow. We still use the plumbing system put in place by the Victorian’s; it bettered people’s living conditions back then and still does now. Why do you think our great British fruit the Plum was called “The Victoria Plum”?
Change occurs at different times in everyone’s life, it arrives to teach us and help us grow. Change also helps us adapt. During the pandemic, going down to the pub turned into walking through your garden or local parks. To sitting back in a reclining chair and taking a moment to just breathe and think about what tomorrow will bring. We opened windows to breath fresh air and listen to that dawn chorus, or to watch the sun rise and set. When darkness falls, the moon shines and stars glisten. Maybe, if you’re really lucky, you might see a shooting star and make a wish.
It is always good to remind yourself to just enjoy things. Nature helps you breathe, gives you hope; it is truly spectacular. It nurtures and teaches us, it can bring tears of joy. It definitely gives us a new experience and reminds us that nothing is forever. Live in an environment that makes you happy.
So, with all of this in mind, I need to share some news. I worked hard on my environment and really focused on looking to nature; I’ve found multiple ladybirds and insects that i haven’t seen since i was very young. In one of my previous blogs, I wrote about Equanimity. (Click here to read.)During some mindfulness, I put up a few bird boxes. Today, I watched a little Blue Tit take food from one of its parents and suddenly life’s troubles just didn’t seem so bad. I phoned my partner with the great news, and now I am writing it for you.
Go slow, breathe. Just don’t give up. Look to your inner child and sometimes you need to recall the joy of riding a bike without the stabilisers. Do what you love ❤
Love and Light
Laura
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