Getting closer to nature: good for our mental health and wellbeing

This week’s blog comes from Chur, which is Switzerland’s oldest city. People have been living here since 3,000BC. I have to say the city is situated in one of the most spectacular settings I have seen for a while. The Plessur and Rhine rivers meet in the city and the whole place is surrounded by high Alpine mountains. The old town in particular, is simply beautiful. Yesterday was very cold but it simply felt good to be outside walking in the winter sun. 

On Friday we took the Bernina Express to St Moritz, and then yesterday continued across to Chur through some of the most beautiful snow covered mountains and countryside I’ve seen in a while. The route is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In total, the train crosses 196 bridges and through 55 tunnels. For much of the journey the train travels at a very sedate pace - a train equivalent of cruising a canal on a narrow boat. 

We are half way through a two-week holiday in continental Europe. We are travelling by train through England (well Blackpool to London), France, Italy and Switzerland and back home to Blackpool again. Last year we travelled from Blackpool to Istanbul by train. Jane and I enjoyed the slow pace of travel so much that we signed up for this trip on our return. We have not been disappointed. 

Apart from an overnight stay in Zurich last year, I haven’t been to Switzerland for many a year. It feels great to be back visiting once more. Next week we will be travelling the Swiss city of Basel on our way back home. Growing up, my parents would take us to Basel to see my mothers’ parents, often at this time of the year. I have some great memories of Christmas trees lit with real candles in little silver holders, proper snow, chocolate porridge, and once memorably, taking the night train from Victoria station in London. These family holidays were a brilliant part of my childhood.  

So far, this trip has lived up to our expectations and every place we have visited. has been a delight. Travelling by train, I feel much closer to the countryside we pass through. For me, there is a much greater sense of connectedness with the places we visit, that you don’t get by simply arriving somewhere on a plane. The journey itself becomes part of the experience and passing through some beautiful countryside, is a real tonic.

This trip has reminded me of how powerful connecting with nature can be. For me, and I’m sure for many others, being outside and connecting with nature has a positive impact on my mental health and wellbeing. There are other benefits too. Last week I read about little five-year old girl, Aurora. The story told of her making a ‘cake’ out of sand and mud, with mixed-in imaginary carrots, potatoes and meat. Somehow in the process, it was transformed into a ‘chocolate cake’. Aurora was making her cake while at her nursery school in Lahti, Finland.  

In this nursery, children are actively encouraged to literally get their hands dirty. The nursery is one of 43 day care centres across Finland that have been funded to increase children’s exposure to the microscopic diversity, such as bacteria and fungi, that can be found in nature. As well as being good for the child’s wellbeing, it can encourage a healthy immune system. I have long thought that the reason so many children have allergies today is that they are not exposed to microbes (what my mum might have referred to as ‘germs’) in our environment.

The first 1,000 days of a child’s life are crucial. It’s during this time that a child’s brain and body are most rapidly developing. Wrapping children up in ‘cotton wool’ to protect them from ‘germs’ is almost certainly not the best way of protecting a child from childhood and adult diseases and illnesses. We still apply the three-second rule in our house. If a piece of food falls onto the floor and can be picked up in three seconds, it’s safe to eat. Mind you, sometimes it can be a race against time if Dylan the dog is also in the kitchen!

Sadly, the UK is one of the least ‘nature connected’ countries in the world. Nepal is the most connected, and having visited there recently, I’m not surprised. Croatia and Bulgaria are the only European countries in the top 10 of a study which involved 61 countries. Having visited both these countries during our train holiday last year, again, I’m not surprised. Before I get back on our train again later this morning, can I just share that the number one research-based tip suggested by the Mental Health Foundation to protect and improve our mental health and wellbeing is ‘getting closer to nature’. Wherever you are, let’s all get out there and have some fun.