Can nature aid your recovery?

Can nature aid your recovery?

It’s not called the ‘great’ outdoors for nothing; nature supplies everything we need from oxygen to food and Ibiza has an abundance of nature. When you’re not in a good place spending time outside can be challenging but could it be exactly what you need for recovery? Mental health charity ‘Mind’ reviewed nature based interventions for mental health care and issued a report providing compelling evidence to show that contact with nature can reduce levels of anxiety, stress, and depression.

7 ways nature can benefit your recovery

1. Sunlight can aid your recovery by helping your body produce much needed vitamin D. Ibiza has an average of 10 hours of sunshine a day allowing endless opportunity for a healthy dose of vitamin D to boost your immunity, build stronger bones and increase serotonin levels to help combat potential depression during recovery.
2. Earthing, have you ever heard that you need to be more grounded? What does ‘being more grounded’ actually mean? Research has shown that placing your bare feet on the ground for just 15 minutes a day, can reduce inflammation and free radicals, re-energise the body and connect you with nature. Earthing allows the body to connect with the electrical field of the earth, allowing beneficial electrons from the earth’s field into your body. Earthing is essential for optimum health and well-being.
3. Swimming can be very therapeutic, being submerged in water can invoke similar feelings to being in the womb bringing a sense of calmness and tranquillity as well as balancing PH levels. The feeling of weightless that being immersed in water gives you can reduce anxiety and help dopamine production. Water is known for its cleansing properties as well as increasing happiness and allowing you to feel more connected.  
4. Gardening, or eco-therapy is increasingly being used in the treatment of addiction and mental health. It can help reduce stress and anxiety as well as create a sense of achievement and purpose. There is a lot to be said for physically and metaphorically sewing seeds, nurturing the seedlings and watching them grow can help you plant your own seeds and watch them grow. It can be incredibly rewarding to eat the fruit and vegetables that you lovingly grew from seed then end up at your table.
5. Walking, in nature can help reconnect you to the world outside of your mind and its usual thought patterns. Addiction can be very isolating and nature can remind us that we are part of a bigger picture, something much greater. Spending time in nature, walking mindfully can encourage you to move out of your head by paying attention to your footsteps on the ground, the bird song, noise of the water or wind in the trees. Nature can give you much to think about while also enjoying the stillness. Walking in nature is said to help ease stress, lower blood pressure and reduce worry.
6. Trees, filter and remove the dust and pollution from the air, providing and us with clean oxygenated air and improving our health and well-being. Studies have shown that living in green areas lowers cortisol levels thereby lowering stress levels and improving mood. Trees are also said to remove negative energy and replace it with positive energy, so there could be a good reason to hug a tree. Whether you are up for hugging trees or just simply sitting under them, nature can give you a helping hand in recovery.  
7. Animals, can help ease stress, which is one of the biggest causes of relapse. Stroking an animal can lower blood pressure, reduce your heart rate and provide a healthy distraction. Often called ‘a mans best friend’ dogs can have the added benefit of encouraging you to get out into nature as well a providing that unconditional love but any animal can invoke the same feeling of calmness in a human.

The home of Ibiza Calm was chosen for its stunning country location set in Ibiza’s finest Spanish countryside. As well as the long days of sunshine Ibiza also boasts the most incredible beaches, mountains, sunsets and starry skies. Legend has it that Ibiza is home to one of the third most magnetic points in the world ‘Es Vedra’. This magnetic rock is said to have healing qualities and its energy carries across the island. Whether you believe the stories or not laying eyes on the magical rock can take your breath away.  We like our residents to get the best of nature and enjoy the benefits of living in the Ibizan countryside, including working in our kitchen garden and walking our friendly dog called “cheeky”. The combination of sunshine, stunning coastline, areas of natural beauty and clear skies are what makes Ibiza Calm such a unique and healing location for recovery.