When we think of natural beauty, our mind often gravitates to a person’s natural beauty, overlooking the idea of beauty in the world around us. Finding natural beauty doesn’t have to be anything as big as traveling to see mountains or naturally formed arches; it can be found in anything from a simple flower, to the sunset after a thunderstorm.
Spring time generally brings light to these forms of beauty. As the air starts to warm, everything begins to bloom and heal from winter. I’d like to think that this is the time to influence wellness and growth. Seeing life around us grow and liven up can influence us to do the same, bringing us out of the depressive states we may feel during the winter.
By being outdoors, we get to experience things we may not have experienced before and open our minds to new perspective ideas. When we see something that we feel is pretty or aesthetically pleasing, we take time to appreciate it and capture it in the moment. We then yearn to feel that satisfaction again, influencing us to travel and seek our own form of beauty.
I believe that understanding Earth’s natural beauty can benefit our wellness both mentally and physically. As described by Debbie Stoewen on the National Institute of Health’s website, “Wellness is a holistic integration of physical, mental, and spiritual well-being, fueling the body, engaging the mind, and nurturing the spirit.”
As for the eight different dimensions of wellness, the main focuses are on the mental and physical aspects. Your physical wellness consists of taking care of your body, and your mental emotional wellness consists of taking care of the mind.
When considering both aspects and how to put them in action, we can start with the physical ones. This could involve traveling to places you have never been to before or rather, some of your favorite places that you find beauty in; this way you can keep up with physical activity and be surrounded by growth. For the mental aspect, you should focus more on self-awareness. By finding places you find comfort and gratitude in you can relieve yourself of anxieties and keep a healthy mind.
Having a connection with something you find pleasing can influence your emotional experiences, better helping you seek beauty in the world, and find familiarity and comfort in the things you find satisfaction in. Dr. Shahram Heshmat states in Psychology Today, “Most aesthetic perceptions of landscapes, natural scenes like sunrises, and sunsets tend to produce positive feelings of peacefulness, relaxation, and harmony.” Keeping this in mind, take time to acknowledge beauty in the little things to elevate your overall mood and help improve your well-being.
