Some time last year, I realised that one of the things that could make me feel particularly good (whether that was happy, calm or some other contented state) was paying attention to nature around me. I acknowledge that this is hardly groundbreaking information. We are often told that being is nature is good for our mental health but for a long time, I thought that to really feel the benefits of nature, you had to be standing atop a majestic mountain or in an ancient forest. I thought it was unreasonable and impractical to commune with nature on a regular basis.
However, one of the great parts of taking solitary dog walks (well, solitary in terms of other humans – Harper is with me, of course!) is that I have a lot of time to notice aspects of local nature that are easy to overlook. Even in our suburban environment with its limited natural resources, I have been able to enjoy listening to the wonderful birdsong, spotting birds and other wildlife and seeing the seasonal changes to the flora in the area.
Keeping a nature journal is the obvious way for me to pause on these glimpses of natural beauty. I cannot draw for toffee so I do my best to copy pictures I have taken, and even include some photographs. I use watercolour and pens. I don’t mind how it looks and I am kind with myself for my lack of artistic talent. The journalling part can be reflective or simply descriptive. I update the journal sporadically when the mood strikes or when I am looking for a creative outlet. It is one of my 25 things in 2025 to update it again and I am sure that this will be an easy task as I already want to add the recent frost.
Notes From My Day 