Nature-Based Wellbeing and the Heliotropic Principle

WellbeingNature Connection
Written By Hugh Asher

25th February 2023

Nature has a remarkable ability to heal and restore our physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing. From the majesty of towering forests to the gentle lapping of waves on a beach, nature has a way of calming our minds and rejuvenating our spirits. The Heliotropic Principle, a concept drawn from Appreciative Inquiry, provides a useful framework for understanding how nature can enhance our wellbeing. Appreciative Inquiry itself is a strengths-based and solution-focused approach that provides the foundation to the ways that we support people to develop the knowledge, skills and self-belief to improve their own health and wellbeing.

Appreciative Inquiry

Appreciative Inquiry (AI) is a powerful approach to both personal and organisational development that emphasises positive thinking and solution-focused problem-solving. When applied to your individual self-development, Appreciative Inquiry can help you to identify your strengths and capabilities, set goals for personal growth, and build a positive mindset that fosters resilience and well-being.

Here are a few ways that Appreciative Inquiry can be used in your self-development:

  1. Discovering Personal Strengths and Values
    Appreciative Inquiry encourages you to focus on your positive attributes and experiences. By reflecting on past successes and identifying what you value most, you can gain a deeper understanding of your strengths and motivations. This knowledge can help you to set goals that align with your values and capitalise on your unique strengths.

  2. Building a Positive Mindset
    Appreciative Inquiry encourages you to shift your thinking from a problem-focused perspective to a solutions-focused perspective. By focusing on the positive and reframing your challenges as opportunities for growth, you can develop a more positive mindset that fosters resilience, creativity, and well-being.

  3. Setting Goals for Personal Growth
    Appreciative Inquiry can help you to set specific, achievable goals for personal growth. By reflecting on past successes and identifying what you value most, you can set goals that are aligned with your strengths and motivations. This can help you to develop a sense of purpose and direction in both your personal and professional life.

  4. Building Supportive Relationships
    Appreciative Inquiry encourages you to build supportive relationships with others who share your values and goals. By connecting with others who are also focused on personal growth and well-being, you can build a sense of community and mutual support that can help you to stay motivated and accountable.

  5. Taking Action
    Finally, Appreciative Inquiry emphasises the importance of taking action and making meaningful changes in your life. By setting specific goals and taking concrete steps towards personal growth and development, you can build momentum and make lasting improvements to your overall wellbeing.

The Heliotropic Principle

A Sunflower

The Heliotropic Principle in nature-based wellbeing draws inspiration from the way that plants lean towards the sun, and refers to the tendency of living organisms, including humans, to move towards positive and life-affirming experiences and outcomes. Just as plants lean towards the sun, we too are drawn towards positive experiences that bring us joy, meaning, and purpose. This is why spending time in nature can be so beneficial for our wellbeing.

The Benefits of Connection with Nature

Research has shown that spending time in natural environments can reduce stress, boost mood, and improve cognitive function. Nature has a way of engaging our senses, calming our minds, and encouraging us to be present in the moment. By immersing ourselves in the beauty and wonder of the natural world, we can experience a sense of awe and inspiration that can be transformative for our wellbeing.

Positive and Solution-Focused Approaches

The Heliotropic Principle in nature-based wellbeing also highlights the importance of focusing on what is working well, rather than dwelling on problems and challenges. By seeking out positive experiences in nature, such as the vibrant colours of a sunset or the soothing sound of a babbling brook, we can build a foundation of positive emotions that can help us navigate difficult times.

The Benefits for Planetary Health

Moreover, the Heliotropic Principle in nature-based wellbeing can also inspire us to take action to protect and preserve the natural world. By recognising the intrinsic value of nature and its ability to enhance our wellbeing, we can become more motivated to take steps to reduce our impact on the environment and promote sustainability.

How can Nature-Based Wellbeing Plans Help?

Nature-Based Wellbeing Plans are structured strategies or routines that prioritise and schedule spending time in nature and natural environments as a means to your improve physical, mental, and emotional health. They are often devised in collaboration with a Forest Bathing or Forest Therapy Guide or a Silvotherapy Practitioner. These plans are designed to help you to identify the activities that resonate most with you, and to integrate nature connection activities into your daily life in a purposeful way, in order to maximise the many benefits that nature has to offer.

Nature-based wellbeing plans typically involve setting specific self-identified goals for spending time in nature, and establishing a regular routine for doing so. Some common components of nature-based wellbeing plans include:

  • Setting Goals
    The first step in creating a nature-based wellbeing plan is to identify specific goals for spending time in nature. This might include spending a certain amount of time outdoors each day, visiting a particular natural area on a regular basis, or engaging in specific outdoor activities like nature-mindfulness, Forest Bathing (Shinrin Yoku) or Silvotherapy, gardening, or birdwatching.

  • Scheduling Regular Time Outdoors
    To make spending time in nature a regular part of daily life, it can be helpful to establish a routine for outdoor time. This might involve scheduling regular walks or outdoor activities into a calendar or planner, or setting reminders to take breaks and step outside during the day.

  • Connecting with Nature
    To fully experience the benefits of nature-based wellbeing, it's important to engage with the natural environment in a meaningful way. This might involve practicing mindfulness or meditation while outside, engaging in outdoor hobbies like photography or painting, or participating in nature-based conservation or restoration efforts.

  • Engaging with Others
    Spending time in nature can also be a social activity, and engaging with others while outside can enhance the benefits of nature-based wellbeing. This might involve joining a local walking or birdwatching club, participating in outdoor fitness classes or workshops, or volunteering for nature-based conservation or education organisations.

  • Tracking Progress
    To stay motivated and monitor progress, it can be helpful to track the amount of time spent in nature and to keep a record of the positive effects on physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing .

The heliotropic principle in nature-based wellbeing provides a powerful framework for understanding the positive effects of nature on our physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing. By seeking out positive experiences in nature, focusing on what is working well, and taking action to protect the environment, we can enhance our own wellbeing and contribute to a more sustainable and harmonious relationship with the natural world. This can be enhanced through nature-based wellbeing plans, a proactive approach to incorporating the benefits of nature into daily life, and can provide a sense of purpose and structure to spending time outdoors. By making nature a priority, you can experience the many benefits that nature has to offer and enhance your overall wellbeing. This effect can be enhanced through nature-based wellbeing plans, a proactive approach to incorporating the benefits of nature into daily life that can provide a sense of purpose and structure to spending time outdoors. By making nature a priority, you can experience the many benefits that nature has to offer and enhance your overall wellbeing.

Nature-Based Wellbeing Plan

Our Nature-Based Wellbeing Plans are bespoke and individualised wellbeing plans, developed in collaboration between us. Everybody’s Nature-Based Wellbeing Plan will be different and will meet your individual preferences and needs.

These plans are often designed after you have been on one or more guided Forest Bathing walk or engaged in Forest Therapy or nature-connection activities, such as our Sit Spot and Nature-Connection Challenge.

These Nature-Based Wellbeing Plan seeks to build on these experiences and what you have learned about yourself, the natural environment around you and the types of nature connection activities that resonate most strongly with you.

Follow the link below to find out more.

Nature-Based Wellbeing Plans
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Hugh Asher

I’m Hugh and I’m a Certified Forest Bathing Guide and Forest Therapy Practitioner, having trained with the Forest Therapy Institute and the Forest Therapy Hub. My purpose in life is to inspire people to improve their wellbeing, and to help people to help and inspire others to improve their wellbeing. I do this through promoting greater nature connection as I am a passionate believer in the benefits to health and wellbeing that nature and increased connection to nature can bring.

Professionally, I have worked for over twenty years supporting people experiencing: mental health problems; autism; learning disabilities; school exclusion; experience of the care system; and a history of offending behaviour. Currently I am the ‘Recovery Through Nature Lead’ in a residential rehab for people experiencing drug and alcohol problems.

I have a PhD in Therapeutic Relationships, but Dr. Hugh makes me sound too much like a Time Lord.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/hugh-asher/
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