“It helps me relax, forget my worries, and just decompress,” she explains. It has been a challenging 12 months for the 43-year-old from Giffnock, who has had to juggle full-time working from home, home-schooling her three young children and caring responsibilities for her elderly father. “As time went on the pressure was overwhelming,” she says. Caroline O Donnell “A number of my colleagues who were doing the same job as me were put on furlough – they had no kids and no caring responsibilities, so I asked if could I have my hours reduced or for a rotational furlough, but I was told no to both requests.”
People said that being in nature improves their mood (Andrew Milligan/PA)
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Nearly two thirds of adults in Scotland said being close to nature improves their mood but one in ten found it difficult to access it, according to a new survey.
The research for Mental Health Foundation Scotland also found that almost half (45%) of adults in Scotland said that they were not connecting or feeling a close engagement with nature often enough to help their mental health.
NEARLY two-thirds of adults in Scotland said being close to nature improves their mood but one in 10 found it difficult to access it, according to a new survey. The research for Mental Health Foundation Scotland also found that almost half (45%) of adults in Scotland said they were not connecting or feeling a close engagement with nature often enough to help their mental health. The foundation announced the research today to mark the start of its Mental Health Awareness Week. It has released a new report, Nature: Mental Health Awareness Week 2021, which calls on the Scottish Government to introduce a Green Spaces Strategy to guarantee safe and accessible green spaces for all, transform Scotland’s relationship with the outdoors and improve mental and physical health.
IT is the mental health salve that many Scots have turned to during the pandemic. With increased numbers of people suffering with anxiety, stress and depression, nature has offered solace to those struggling through the crisis. Local cold water swimming group, Taking The Plunge, have used the natural waters of the various lochs and streams in the area to take in nature - and the health boosting effects of cold water immersion. And as we head into this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week, it is the beauty of our natural surroundings that will take centre stage. In a new report, Nature: Mental Health Awareness Week 2021, the Mental Health Foundation Scotland will call on the Scottish Government to introduce a Green Spaces Strategy to guarantee safe and accessible green spaces for all.