While kicking through leaves on a crisp autumn day is an undoubted joy, when it's cold and dark, getting out to breathe in nature's goodness can seem more of an effort. So how do we bring that magical feeling into our lives each and every day, whatever the weather? One word - houseplants!
Spending time tending plants in the home has enjoyed a huge resurgence lately, to the extent that the internet is now awash with T-shirts and mugs proudly proclaiming their owner to be a 'plant mum'. As we all seek to lower stress levels in our lives, it's not hard to see why they're becoming so popular: as well as being a great interior-design statement, they also have a huge range of physical and psychological health benefits, including reducing stress, boosting mood, lowering blood pressure, improving air quality, and enhancing productivity and creativity.
In evolutionary terms, biophilia (the love of plants) is deeply ingrained in our psyche, and our attachment to plants is primal. A lush, green landscape told our ancestors that they were in a place that could sustain life, and healthy green life signalled to their brains that they were somewhere they could live and thrive.
But we've come a long way since then, and city living has led to a disconnect with nature. Nowadays, people spend considerably more time indoors than out - in fact, a recent study found that we spend 90 per cent of our time inside, and one in eight UK households don't have access to any kind of garden.
We all know the health benefits of spending time in nature, and not having access to the great outdoors can have a number of effects on our wellbeing. It's been linked to symptoms of depression and anxiety, as well as other health conditions, such as asthma, cardiovascular disease, and poor immune function.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة November 2023 من Psychologies UK.
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هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة November 2023 من Psychologies UK.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
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Why Are We So Sensitive About Being Sensitive? - Feeling empathy, energy and emotion keenly is not a failing - it can be your strength and your superpower, discovers Yasmina Floyer
All of us are sensitive - it is the very nature of being human. However, as with most behavioural characteristics, it exists on a scale. Jenn Granneman, founder of the world's largest community for introverts and co-author, along with Andre Sólo, of Sensitive (Penguin, £10.99), tells me about the characteristics of someone who is highly sensitive: 'Simply put, if you're a highly sensitive person, your body and mind respond more to the world around you. You respond more to heartbreak, pain, and loss - but you also respond more to beauty, new ideas, and joy. You're more affected by everything around you, but you also draw more from these experiences.
Try a Little Kindfulness - Make kindness a conscious practice and infuse your life with everyday abundance, writes Dr David Hamilton
The more we care about others, the more we realise that most people are just like us - trying to figure things out and hoping for a good day. It's easier to fear what you don't know, but once you get to know people, the world seems a lot smaller and cosier. So next time you're tempted to scroll past someone's problem, dismiss someone's feelings, or just be in your own little bubble, remember: the world's a better place when we all give a little f*ck. Let's sprinkle that stuff everywhere like it's magical kindness glitter!
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