Connecting with nature through Welsh mythology

Why is looking after your mental wellbeing important to you?

Looking after my mental wellbeing is really important to me because I enjoy feeling well and able to deal with the that life throws at me.

Having experienced anxiety in the past I used to run a few times a week and found that this helped me see perspective.

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

I have made an effort to connect to activities and people in my community. Since the children have grown up and fled the nest I found myself immersing myself in work. Thankfully I made a conscious decision that my mental wellbeing is important to me as I get older. I want to enjoy life and therefore I actively sought a better work life balance.

I enjoy meeting new people, learning new skills and discovering hidden talents.

Recently I was invited to take part in an outdoors nature-based workshop, it was amazing! It was accompanied by a story telling activity in a very simple and conversational style story about Welsh mythology. In particular it focused on birds in nature – it really drew me in.

Having listened to the story we were invited to immerse ourselves in nature; we were invited to use our senses to listen, smell, touch etc and it amazed me that when I was forced to focus on this activity I really enjoyed a feeling of calm and wellness. It triggered some reflections of my engagement in nature as a child, but also having listened to the story of the birds in Welsh mythology I felt connected to Welsh heritage and therefore felt like I was part of something much bigger.

It is something I hope to practice more often and hopefully get my family involved.