Mental Health Awareness Week, Nature and Schools

The Covid-19 pandemic and the national lockdown which has accompanied it have brought various fundamental changes to our daily lives. Whether this may be limited contact with close family and friends, working from home or even being confined to the boundaries of our house and garden.

These changes have unfortunately had detrimental effects on the UK population and as we finally look to return to normality, there will be some significant changes to our lifestyles which we can expect.

There is no question that one of the biggest impacts which the national lockdown has highlighted is the effect on our mental health. In February 2021, 42% of the UK population felt anxious and stressed due to the pandemic. What is the reasoning for this? Humans are social beings who naturally like to be in the open, so once this social contact is stripped away from us and isolation comes into force, it is therefore with no surprise that these feelings of loneliness and anxiety come into play.

It does not have to be all doom and gloom though. There is one simple thing which can help us all in these hard and turbulent times. Nature. Nature is the theme this year for the mental health awareness week and how connecting with nature can help improve and bolster our mental well-being.

Studies conducted by the mental health foundation showed that 70% of adults in the UK said that being close to nature improved their mental health where going for walks outside was our top coping strategy in the national lockdown.

The mental struggles from the pandemic have affected the younger age group particularly hard where young people have reported consistently lower levels of coping mechanisms compared to those of the general population. In April 2020, figures reached as high as 64% of younger people struggling to cope mentally as a result of the pandemic and the restrictions which it bought with it.

The covid-19 pandemic has highlighted this importance of nature and the positive implications which it can have for all age groups but especially for those younger generations. Nature should not have to be a luxury but rather it should be a resource which is readily available to be enjoyed on a daily basis. In particular teenagers are failing to connect with nature where around 13% of UK households have no access to a garden.

That is exactly why having access to nature through education is, and will be continue to be, pivotal to the mental well-being of children and younger age groups by reducing stress and giving a new perspective to their lives.

Schools are already seeing the mental health benefits which nature can have with education and learning in outdoor spaces. St Mary’s school in Cambridge is leading the way with this movement where their Junior school students will have more lessons outdoors to be able to appreciate their natural surroundings during Mental Health Awareness Week.

At the Hideout House Company, we pride ourselves on sustainability and offering products to schools who are giving children access to an outdoor education from a variety of products which we are able to offer. These products typically involve forest school equipment and shelters, outdoor classrooms, nature exploration kits, fire pit shelters, den making kits etc

Nature is available all around us. So why not use such a powerful resource in your school which not only teaches about sustainability and gives a new perspective for children but also provides a platform to ensure good mental well-being and thereby reduce stress and anxiety in the young.

For further information on the Hideout House Company, please visit www.hideouthouse.com or email info@hideouthouse.com

For more information on Mental Health Awareness Week please visit Mental Health Awareness Week