Immersing myself in nature

I’m a 54-year-old woman living in West Wales. I recently lost my dad, and my mum has just been diagnosed with Parkinson’s, so it’s been a tough few months.

Why is looking after your mental wellbeing important to you?

Because it allows me to be the ‘real’ me and do the things I want to do.

What do you do to protect and improve your mental wellbeing?

I watch the trees from my window, I listen to the birds, I watch the sun rise and the moon rise, and I look for the stars. 

I take the dog out in the dark on frosty mornings and listen to the sound of him running. I sit in the woods and feel the green. I take note of gorse budding and leaves falling. I bluster along the beach with rough blowy seas, and I swim in the summer blue.