“They” tell us to take time for ourselves. “Go out into nature to reset in the beauty of the outdoors.” But let’s be real, we are moms. We are literally creating life and growing functional human beings while simultaneously running households and businesses. Where are we going to find time when self-care, such as a simple shower, or a routine medical check-up seems like a luxury?
What if I told you that research showed nature boosts productivity and health, offsetting your invested time and that it can happen anywhere in under 15 minutes? We aim to share research, tips, and resources to make nature boosts a reality for your life.
For working mothers juggling careers, family responsibilities, and a plethora of other daily demands, reconnecting with nature, even in the smallest ways, can be a powerful form of recharging our batteries. Research from Harvard shows that exposing ourselves to green spaces decreases rumination and anxiety while restoring us with positive emotions. Studies also link regular interaction with nature to improved memory, better sleep, and lowered risk of depression; benefits that directly translate into greater resilience and efficiency throughout the workday.
One way of maximizing time to recharge between tasks is called the 3M break method created by Dr. Sahar Yousef. Integrating nature-based pauses can double that recharge, fostering calm and supporting mental clarity, enhancing focus and cognitive performance.Nature decreases anxiety levels and helps alleviate stress and anger which is essential for moms as we balance life.
Ideally, we would all have paid vacations to scenic outdoors, or at least the time, energy, and space to go take a walk around a local park with a pond and some trees. This is sadly not a reality for most of us, yet nature can still be accessible. We can integrate natural elements into our homes and offices. Indoor plants or a balcony garden can offer mental health benefits that directly support productivity, emotional regulation, and overall wellness with ease.
Hacks for simple, break-time practices that create convenient nature moments to help us recalibrate in our homes, offices, or our neighborhoods:
- Tend to a windowsill herb garden
- Locate the seeds or seedlings of your favorite herbs and begin growing them
- During your nature breaks speak positively to them: love and beauty, health and wellbeing, growth and healing as you water and care for them
- When it is time to harvest and cook with their production imagine that you are adding all of that positive energy and intention to you and your family on a cellular level.
- Take mindful moments to water houseplants.
- As you fill the container to water your green friends consider all of the ways you can fill your own proverbial cup. Ask yourself what your mind, heart, body, and spirit need from you today.
- Imagine that those things are all in the water as you feed your plants and that you have so much abundance of those things that you can share this abundance with your plants with ease and joy.
- If you hit a rough moment during the day take a really deep breath and imagine that your plants are reciprocating the abundance you shared with them to meet your need.
- Take a brief walk and exchange an intentional breath with any trees, flowers, or plants you pass by.
- With each exhale of carbon dioxide imagine sending them things like growth, protection, and love.
- With each inhale of the oxygen they produce, imagine receiving from them restoration, health, and increased energy.
- Strengthen and clear yourself in the sun
- Stand outside on a sunny day and first allow it to briefly burn away any unwanted sensations, emotions, or burdens
- Next cup your hands and use them to symbolically pull energy from the sun to your bellybutton in three swooping motions while you hold the intention that this is feeding you strength, health, confidence, and energy.
- Repeat this a second time, only this time bring that energy to your heart with the intention that it is filling you with love for yourself, your family, and the world around you as well as enhancing your emotional fortitude.
- Finally, repeat a third time bringing the energy of the sun to your forehead. The intention this time is to bring in wisdom to powerfully and gracefully handle all things, to enhance your memory, knowledge and organization.
However you decide to go about reconnecting with nature, we are glad that you are choosing you. You are important, valuable, and worthy of honor. Life as a working mother is challenging. Most days we won’t get the honor and love we need to thrive from the people around us. Luckily mother earth is a mother who will never let any of us down, much like we try to be for our children. How we show up for them plays a monumental role in their life outcomes. The better we treat ourselves the more capacity we have to be the greatest version of ourselves for our children. So, get out there into mother nature and let her show up for you!
Additional Resources:
- 3 types of breaks you can take to feel rested – Trin Henderson
- 7 Simple Ways to Connect with Nature in the City | Reality Pathing
- The Science Survey
- Nature
- ScienceDaily
- The Middletown Press
- The Pew Charitable Trusts
- Namica
- Harvard Public Health+1PDR+1
- UC Davis Health
- Mental Health Foundation
- Harvard Public Health