South Downs Park: Eight nature-based ways to combat the January blues

Connecting with nature has been proven to improve people’s mental wellbeing.

As we enter the coldest time of year and the indulgence of Christmas is left behind the South Downs National Park is encouraging people to get outside as a low-cost way to put the “joy into January”.

The park’s health and wellbeing officer, Kate Drake, said: “One in four people will experience a mental health problem in their life and everybody has mental health that needs looking after.

“January and February can be particularly hard months for a lot of people and it’s fine to acknowledge that you may be feeling a bit low.

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“Fortunately, there are so many simple joys to be experienced during the winter that don’t cost the earth. Getting out into the fresh air and going for a walk in a tranquil space is a very powerful way of releasing stress and allowing those happy hormones such as serotonin to bounce back.

“People will be surprised how much better they feel after being out in nature to enjoy a moment of calm and appreciate its beauty.”

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Here are eight nature-based ways to put the “joy into January” from the South Downs National Park:

Take a walk in a green space

The national park advises wrapping up warm for a walk in the local park or trails in the South Downs. Walkers are encouraged to see what they can notice whether that’s the first flowers emerging, buds, trees, leaves on the ground or somewhere with a view.

Keep a nature diary

A nature diary could include notes of sightings, words that come to mind or even a quick sketch.

Listen

Park staff said listening is a “great way of centering and being in the moment”. For added impact, the park recommends people keep their eyes closed to listen to the sounds of nature from raindrops to bird songs.

Night walking

The South Downs National Park is one of 20 International Dark Sky Reserves, with some of the best stargazing opportunities in the UK.

The annual Dark Skies Festival is a highlight of the South Down’s winter calendar and is set to take place from February 4 to February 17 with stargazing parties, storytelling, astronomy and walks. For more go to southdowns.gov.uk/dark-night-skies/dark-skies-festival/.

Look down and look up

Walkers should look out for patterns and shapes on the ground including puddles, ice, leaves, roots or footprints. Meanwhile, the park also encourages cloud watching and exploring how the sky changes with time.

Help nature

The RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch is free to take part in from January 27 to 29. For more information or to sign up go to rspb.org.uk/get-involved/activities/birdwatch/.

Other ideas to help nature include creating a window box or helping to clear litter from green spaces.

Vitamin D

Natural sunlight helps to replenish Vitamin D which in turn can help improve people’s moods. On average, people only gain approximately two minutes of daylight. Admiring the sunset can also be uplifting after a hard day.

Set goals

The South Downs Park recommends taking on challenges whether that is a 15 minutes every day or something more ambitious like walking a section of the 100-mile South Downs Way every month in 2023.

The park has more than 3,300km of rights of way for people to explore, including guided routes for people of all fitness and mobility levels. For more go to southdowns.gov.uk/get-active/.

The South Downs Way begins in Winchester and stretches 100 miles to Eastbourne. Maps and additional information can be found at the official start at Winchester City Mill.