Nurtured By Nature
- Chloe Rollings
- Jun 17
- 5 min read
Nature can be a lifeline, especially when life feels full-on.
Doing something as small as taking a moment to walk around the block and breathe in fresh air, noticing a flower coming to bloom outside or on our windowsill, or just watching the birds can bring a surprising sense of calm and joy in our day-to-day lives. In fact, a major UK study found that spending just two hours a week in nature is linked to better health and wellbeing, whether that's all at once or spread out over the week.
So, we asked carers in the Mobilise community what keeps their spirits up and their outlooks positive. Here’s some inspiration for simple, tried and tested ways we can weave a little nature into our everyday routines - even if we don’t have a garden.
1. Grow our own
Those of us lucky enough to have access to a garden might be busy tending to our own private slices of nature on our doorsteps. But there are still quite a few options for the rest of us.
Many of us enjoy tending to potted plants in our homes. If we have a sunny windowsill or counter, we can bring some nature into our homes by growing indoor herbs, chillies or houseplants.
There are plenty of options that can be low-effort and easy to maintain like spider plants which require little to no attention but can still be super rewarding for us. Not only are they beginner-friendly and pretty resilient, but they also offer surprising health benefits like purifying the air by removing pollutants. They’re also non-toxic to pets, making them a safe and uplifting addition to our space.
We could even check for local plant swap groups on Facebook to see if anyone living nearby would be willing to share any plants or cuttings they have. If our spider plant grows babies, for example, we could swap them for a new plant and keep things fresh without even spending a penny!
"I like being close to nature that's why I love walks and having house plants"
Not sure where to start? There are plenty of starter kits online, which can be ordered for delivery. We can also get inspired by checking out Homestead Brooklyn's Ultimate Guide to Growing Plants Indoors.
Pick Up Limes also have a video on houseplant care tips for beginners:
“About 15 years ago I found a seedling of holly growing from between the paving blocks on the drive. I just pulled it out and planted it in the hedge. It's now 10 feet tall. That's determination and staying-power for you!”
2. Capture the good stuff
Many of us use technology to keep us connected with our family, and friends. So why not technology to connect us to nature too?
Some of us enjoy capturing the wildlife and natural beauty that we can see from our window so that we can always look at it even as the seasons change. Plus, it means our gallery is filled with things that we can look back at in the future to make us feel good!
Taking photos of the beautiful nature around us can really help us focus on things we might not have noticed before. It can be a reminder of something that brightened our day or something we can share with others in the Mobilise Hub.
There are even apps that can help us identify and learn about the plants, birds and bugs that we might come across when we spend time in nature.
3. Create our own bird feeder
Creating our own bird feeder is a great way for us to bring wildlife to our window. Birds are attracted to a good food source and so we might find new birds stopping by and a few popping back again! We might even start to recognise the regulars.
These outdoor pets look after us too; they manage our insect population, pollinate our flowers and pose for the camera if we’re fast enough.
The Natural History Museum has a quick and affordable guide on how we can make diy feeder from a used bottled.
4. Take part in a Wildlife Challenge
If we are someone who wants to be even closer to nature, or to connect with it in new, fun, interactive ways, we might enjoy trying some activities as part of a Wildlife Challenge! From exploring nature to doing our part to help it, there are loads of activities to choose from.
For some inspiration, we might want to explore the RSBP website, which includes visiting a reserve. We can also use their site to check if there's parking, accessible toilets and whether it's pushchair accessible.
5. Check out wildlife webcams
For those of us who cannot leave the house or prefer the indoors, we can still interact with nature through wildlife webcams and live streams!
For example, we can now watch live animals across the world with Explore, the world's leading philanthropic live nature cam network and documentary film channel. Youtube has a range of free wildlife videos that we can dip into whenever we want.
6. Green time instead of screen time
When things get busy, it’s easy to reach for our phones or switch on the telly for a bit of down time and that’s sometimes exactly what we need.
But, when we can, swapping a few minutes of screen time for ‘green time’ can give us a different kind of boost. It could be five minutes with a cuppa in the garden, opening the window and listening to sounds of nature outside, or watering our plants, a little dose of nature can go a long way.
“I've been getting in the garden recently and arranging some of my flower pots. What a good way to clear the mind!”
Closing thoughts and next steps
Nature doesn’t have to mean grand adventures. It can be the small, quiet moments too like looking out the window while we sip a cuppa, popping a flower in a jar on the kitchen table, or finding a new local walk to enjoy, there are gentle ways to bring a bit more green into our days.
Share our experience of nature in the Mobilise Hub 🌱
Join the Mobilise Hub, a free online community of carers where we can swap stories, ask questions and share what’s helped us.
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