When was the last time you gave your mind a real break – the de-stressing kind that only nature can offer?
Last Saturday, after a particularly stressful day, I noticed a little, squirrel-like critter hopping through the garden. It wasn’t a squirrel. But what was it? My awareness was heightened and curiosity piqued. As still as possible, I just watched. I felt my body melt into the moment as the stress lifted.
What was this critter? About a minute later, it came running through again. It was a stoat carrying something in her mouth! A few moments later and, again, there she was running back in the direction she came from.
I was fixated. My mind slowed as I focused only on the stoat. There was no noise in my head, no planning, no ruminating thoughts. Just calm, focused and clear headed, and probably the most relaxed I felt in a week – all in just 5 minutes.
We are so conditioned to power through that we forget – nature is always inviting us to reset. Allow yourself to experience this reset. Discover how just 5 minutes in nature each day can clear your mind, reduce stress, and boos focus. It’s simple, science-backed, and easy to start today.
Nature teaches us:
- A 5-minute break can reduce stress hormones.
- Light, natural movement helps restore our mental focus.
- Visual nature cues restore attention faster than screens and scrolling.
Today’s n8tureRx Tip
Reduce stress levels by stepping outside for 5 minutes today. There is no agenda, except to observe one aspect of nature – a plant, insect, cloud, blade of grass.
Your clearest thinking happens when stress levels are low. This often begins outdoors. There are many techniques that can be incorporated into your stress management strategy. Short mindful moments like this, forest bathing, or solo sit spots in your favourite place. Ready to build a nature habitat that restores you? Let’s explore it together. Schedule a discovery call to learn about ren8ture.
But what about the stoat?
The stoat wasn’t playing or hunting; she was moving her litter of kits to a new location! She ran through a total of 12 times, bringing her entire litter to our home. We were so curious about her behaviour, we researched and learned that stoats will move their litter multiple times for safety reasons and also for better hunting grounds.
We had been working in the garden up to that point, so she knew we were there. Yet she still felt safe enough to use our garden, not just to carry her litter through, but to stay – even if just a short time.
I’m a firm believer that the wildlife near us know we are kind and gentle people, meaning no harm.
When you put out kindness, you reap the benefits in many ways. In this case, there was a clear connection between how we steward our land, how nature benefits, and what we receive in kind.