Nature boosts mental wellbeing during winter months

With up to 1.6 million people in the UK living with Seasonal Affective Disorder, healthcare professionals across the Black Country are using nature to tackle mental health issues and promote wellbeing during colder, darker months.  The occupational therapy and community mental health teams are among over 150 practitioners across the Midlands to be given training by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) to help support patients. Studies consistently show that time spent connecting to nature boosts mood, sleep and cognitive function. As part of the RSPB Nature Prescriptions project, the teams were given training and printed resources designed to help staff and service users not only make the most of natural spaces but also to find ways to connect to nature wherever they are, learning how to make it an integral part of the wellbeing journey.