by Lesley Lyle | June, 2023 | Mental Health, Nature, Spirituality
Here are 10 reasons why you might choose to enrol in MA in Spirituality, Ecology & Mental Health at Buckinghamshire New University. 1. Academic Excellence The program is offered by Buckinghamshire New University, renowned for its Centre for Positive Psychology and international reputation. With expert lecturers, visiting experts, and practitioners, the course provides academic excellence in the field of spirituality, ecology, and mental health. 2. Take a Transformative Journey The program presents a unique opportunity for you to embark on a transformative journey that will profoundly reshape your perspective on life, the world, and most importantly, yourself. By exploring spirituality and adopting practical approaches to living a healthy and fulfilling life, you will not only experience personal growth but also gain a sense of empowerment that will enable you to thrive in all aspects of your life. 3. Make a Meaningful Difference The program strongly encourages active participation in community projects or initiatives, empowering you to make a meaningful difference. By applying the knowledge and skills gained, you have the opportunity to actively contribute to positive change in your community or even on a global scale. Whether it’s initiating your own projects or joining existing ones, you can leverage your newfound understanding and abilities to create a positive impact in the world around you. 4. Find New Career Opportunities The program opens up diverse career opportunities for individuals from various professional backgrounds. It provides avenues for career advancement and prospects in fields such as complementary and alternative medicine, healthcare, education, counselling, coaching, leadership, social work, journalism, and more. The interdisciplinary nature of the program makes...
by Sarah Monk | January, 2023 | Nature, Sarah Monk
Introduction Most of us will have seen the coverage of the COP 27 summit on climate change in November 2022. Our news feeds are full of reports of extreme weather events and the impact they are having on the planet, nature and people. This crisis threatens the whole of humanity and at times is overwhelming. As awareness of the seriousness of the problem the planet is facing permeates our consciousness, climate anxiety or eco-anxiety is a rising problem affecting the mental health of many people (Frumkin 2022). I will outline the ways in which this is both similar and different to other types of anxiety and discuss PP interventions that might be helpful in ameliorating the impact. Climate anxiety Anxiety is a normal emotion experienced in the face of challenge and uncertain outcomes. Indeed we need a certain amount of anxiety to perform at our best. The word is also used to refer to aspects of the clinical state of mental illness which can result when our normal threat response processes go wrong. In evolutionary terms, when we faced a physical threat, such as being eaten by a predator, those whose bodies responded with an effective “flight or fight” (FF) response were more likely to survive and reproduce. So this process became embedded in human neurophysiological functioning through natural selection. The FF response sends blood to the arms and legs and away from the gut, increases heart and respiration rates and floods you with adrenaline to prepare you to run/ fight. In modern life, most of the threats we face are not physical but social, and our cognitive...
by Sarah Monk | July, 2022 | Nature, Sarah Monk
Introduction Contact with nature has long been thought to have positive impacts on well-being. In recent years this effect has been researched systematically. I hope to give you a brief overview of what has been found, discuss the mechanisms that might underpin these effects and talk about how you might use these findings to support your own path to flourishing. What do we mean by “nature”? Like many issues in Positive Psychology (PP), the first question is how to define what we mean by nature. If you are going to research the impact of something you need to understand what you are actually talking about. This is complicated by the fact that what is considered “natural” may change over time, place and the perspective of the individual. We know our world is changing and many of our natural ecosystems are being impacted by human infrastructures. Being “in nature” could mean anything from a full-on wilderness experience, exposure to countryside/ forest/ water bodies, being in urban green spaces, through to having a window to look out of, pictures of natural scenes or even virtual reality immersion. Therefore, research looking at the impact of natural environments on people has tended to use comparative approaches across an urban-natural gradient. In general, the more natural condition involves an area featuring living systems including plants and (non-human) animals and typically tends to be quieter and have a larger field of view than the comparative urban environment (Bratman et al. 2012). Exposure time is also a factor, how can you compare a two-week mountain hiking experience with an hour-long walk in the park once...
by Bryony Shaw | May, 2021 | Bryony Shaw, Nature
Is gardening a flow activity or a mindful activity? This was a debate that I had with fellow Positive Psychologist Kim Furnish recently, and we did not agree. Gardening is an activity enjoyed by many, myself included and I often find myself in flow when gardening. I lose sense of time, I might go out to do some pruning that I think will take half an hour and I come back inside two or three hours later having achieved much more than I originally intended or achieved something completely different to what I originally intended. Whereas Kim says that when she is gardening she is very present and finds it a mindful activity. This left me wondering whether it is possible for gardening to both a flow state and a mindful state and if so, can these two states exist simultaneously or are they mutually exclusive? Flow involves being completely immersed in an activity and nothing else seems to matter so that you lose self-awareness. Whereas mindfulness involves maintaining self-awareness, it requires being fully present and aware of thoughts, feelings, surroundings and body sensations. Also, a flow state occurs when the task you are doing provides a certain level of challenge and you have the skills needed to match the challenge. I find gardening offers a level of challenge that keeps me absorbed. When I am gardening or even just out in the garden my mind is curious and engaged. I walk around and look at the plants and reflect on the progress they are making. I’m looking out for new shoots, assessing the pruning that needs to be...
by Bryony Shaw | September, 2019 | Bryony Shaw, Nature
I have often written about the many benefits of being in nature which include increased feelings of well-being and happiness, reduced stress levels, improved concentration and lowered blood pressure. This summer has offered many opportunities to explore varied outdoor environments and I was fortunate enough to return to a favourite place, Stourhead Gardens in Wiltshire, U.K. This garden was created nearly 300 years ago by Capability Brown, the garden is mainly set around a lake and has been carefully designed to incorporate different views of magnificent trees, stone buildings and reflections in the lake itself. Appreciation of Beauty Whilst at the gardens I thought how beautifully they incorporated many of the main principles and tools of positive psychology. It is very hard not to use the strength of ‘appreciation of beauty’ as you look across the lake towards the Temple of Flora, or when you stand beneath the towering trees. It is hard not to slow down and enjoy savouring details such as the sun reflecting on the water or the scent from late flowering rhododendrons. Wonder The thing that struck me more than normal was wonder at the planning and patience that has gone into designing and maintaining this beautiful garden. The original designers and gardeners had a strong vision to enhance nature’s natural beauty. However, they would not have lived long enough to see the plants fully mature, yet they designed the garden knowing that it would develop and continue to give pleasure to benefit future generations. Random Acts of Kindness This led me to think about the things we do in our lives and how I...
by Amy Poole | September, 2018 | Amy Poole, Nature
The positive effects between our wellbeing and increased exposure to natural environments is widely referenced in modern literature. Bowler, Buyung-Ali and Knight (2009) are among researchers who have found the positive benefit of going for a walk is larger when experienced in a natural environment compared to a synthetic environment. Meaning a walk in the park, taking the time alight your senses: with the sounds of the crunches of leaves beneath your feet or the smell in the air before rain is about to hit the ground is better for you than flicking through your timeline while mindlessly pacing on the treadmill for twenty minutes. Working between a small town in Suffolk and the city of London, it is fair to say I often find myself swept into the caffeine fuelled, fast paced, largely westernised, hash tagged bubble of life. Despite working in the field of mental health, recently I have found it all too easy to ignore the need for the pin that needs to regularly enter our lives, pop that bubble, bring us back down to earth and remember what is truly important. For me, that pin came in the form of some home truths from a dear friend and a trip to Cornwall. In Newquay this year, I was given the opportunity to take part in a “beach clean-up”. A volunteer activity ran by an environmental group ( “Save our Seas”) that aims to collect litter from our beaches and coast lines in a bid to save the environment. The action for happiness organisation lists ‘giving’, ‘relating to others’, ‘learning’ and ‘becoming part of something bigger’...
