Nature, the Harbinger of Happiness
January always feels never-ending, and dark with miserable damp weather. It’s the hangover to New Year and all the festivities of Christmas. Many people try (and often fail) to start exercising or give up drinking for dry January as New Year’s resolutions.
In a moment of marketing genius, one travel company, Sky Travel, invented a campaign around ‘Blue Monday’, the third Monday in January, which it labelled the most depressing day of the year, and therefore the perfect time to book your summer holiday!
Of course, there is no science to prove this particular Monday is any more depressing than any other, but we do know that in the Winter many people suffer from seasonal affective disorder (SAD), a condition acerbated with the lack of sunlight at this time of year. The increase of SAD is no doubt helped by us leading more sedentary, screen-based lives, losing touch with nature and the outside world.
Here at Elmore Court, owner Anselm Guise is acutely aware of the benefits of nature and as part of his vision for rewilding on this ancient estate on the banks of the River Severn, he hopes to achieve a connection with nature that mutually benefits both wildlife and the people that live, work and stay here.
“For me, this is what is so exciting about doing what we’re doing on the land. I love the idea of someone who hasn’t yet become aware of these issues, who doesn’t care, or has been brought up in such a way that it isn’t part of their reality, coming to stay in one of our treehouses and noticing that there’s something different about the environment they’re in. They may notice there are more birds, more bees, and think “hang on, this doesn't look like the English countryside I know,” and then want to find out why. If that tiny epiphany means in some way it changes their behaviour, and they go back to friends and family to share, then that’s really cool stuff. That’s the gold right there.” - Anselm Guise, interviewed by Cotswold Life 2023
In fact, last year Anselm introduced a new role at Elmore, a ‘Nature Ecology and Wellness Guardian’, and has found the perfect ambassador in Briony Cobb,
“Elmore is a very special place to me. It's at the on-site swim lake, Madams Pond, that I experienced for myself the power of nature in mental and physical wellbeing. Swimming there and experiencing the Elmore magic set me on a profound path to healing and growth that I don't believe I would've taken otherwise. I adore my job as it gives me the opportunity both to nurture the land and its flora and fauna and to spread the message about the rewilding we do, about which I am so very passionate. I am most excited to introduce some new animal residents to Elmore and in the future to look to new and exciting ways to engage the community.” ~ Briony Cobb
Sunlight is important to the body’s circadian rhythms, which in turn regulates hormones such as serotonin and melatonin, which work to keep our mood balanced and help us sleep.
“Vitamin D is very important to maintain a good mood. We get it naturally from sunlight and store it in our skin. Unfortunately, on cloudy days, we make less of it and deplete our stores quickly. This not only affects our mood, it also causes general aches and pains adding to further woes.” – Dr. Preethi Daniel, London Doctors Clinic
In the UK, we are experiencing a mental health crisis, with one in six people in England experiencing a common mental health problem (such as anxiety or depression) in any given week.
“There is a strong body of evidence that engaging with nature supports good mental health. Benefits of accessing and engaging with natural environments include reduced stress, reduced anxiety, psychological restoration, improved mood and life satisfaction, improved self-esteem and confidence, and improved emotional regulation.” WWF Prescription for Nature Report 2024
The Rewilding Project here at Elmore is in its infancy, and the treehouses open now for 18 months. It is amazing to see how people engage and emerge themselves into this landscape and come away refreshed and detoxed from the manic modern world we live in. We can’t wait to see how the landscape evolves and how people interact with it.
References:
Office for National Statistics (2022). Cost of living and depression in adults, Great Britain: 29 September to 23 October 2022.
A Prescription For Nature: The Evidence Base | WWF
