IT'S TAKEN ME 50 YEARS TO REALISE THAT IT'S GOOD TO DO ONE THING FOR OUR MENTAL HEALTH
Sometimes it's tempting to ignore the news, especially when it's as grim and unrelenting as it's been so far in 2026. When that happens to me, it's normally a sign that I need to get outside. In the spring this is easy, as everything is bursting into life and who doesn't love a warm summer's day. But in the cold and dark of winter, it's harder to motivate myself, even when I know I'll feel better for it. Like many people, I find the descent into the dark days of winter saps my spirits and causes me to hunker down.
Whatever the season however, a daily dose of nature and the outdoors can be a wonderful antidote. Even on a freezing dark night, getting as much fresh air as I can or stomping outside in the rain lifts my spirits. It might feel like everything in nature has shut down for the winter, but with a careful eye, there are so many things that can bring delight. And, you can see them everywhere.
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Some of them are tiny and simple. In winter, the bright yellow flash of lichen on an elder tree is delightful in the low sun. In the autumn, I wait expectantly to see V-shaped skeins of geese coming back from their own Arctic summer to have a nice warm winter here.
At this time of year hazel trees are bursting into flower with catkins like late Christmas decorations. And I love the fact that we have taken to giving our monthly full moons a name. Who wouldn't want to gaze at the "wolf moon" of January.
Sadly, we're one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world, with one in six of our species facing extinction. But there are still so many fascinating plants and animals that call the UK home.
We have somehow come to think of nature as something fragile that lives far away. Instead, it is something huge and powerful that is all around us. What is more, because we live on the edge of a giant continent, lots of creatures also drop in to see us as they follow the sun back and forth around the world.
I've found that nature and the outdoors is essential for my own well-being. It offers me the chance to slow down and detach from whatever is preoccupying me indoors. Noticing the little things and taking delight in them puts things in perspective.
It's the same for many people - and it is good to talk about it - even if it has only taken me half a century to realise that it is okay to do so.
Surveys show a high proportion of UK adults agree being close to nature improves their mood and that is why my day job helping the National Trust provide access to nature, beauty and history for everyone feels so meaningful.
As you start to notice things then you realise that you can make a little difference too. During the Covid lockdowns, my son and I dug a tiny pond in the front garden that now is humming with life. Feeding the birds in winter is vital for them and uplifting for me.
It also made me notice that some of the birds I see are tourists, while others are very much resident. Indeed, the robin that sits on my watering can always gives me a look as if I am trespassing when I open the back door.
I've learned that the turning of the seasons can add great meaning to our lives. Winter is something to be celebrated, not just endured. If you're looking for inspiring places to get out and about then there are more than 500 National Trust sites across the country that offer woodland walks, coastal hikes or garden wanders.
But you can also look for it in the smallest places, like in hedgerows and on road verges. Whatever you do and wherever you go, look after yourself this winter and look out for a little bit of nature every day. It might even change your life.
Andy Beer is Director of Places and Strategy at the National Trust, which has a three-year partnership with mental health charity Mind to raise the benefits of nature for well-being. Visit mind.org.uk for more details
2026-01-15T20:03:50Z
