Being outdoors is like therapy for me. My busy mind is paused and I find myself enjoying the colours, sounds and sights. Nature is a demanding hostess, especially when you have a pet to keep an eye on. The ground is like a sweet shop for dogs, giving up mysterious smells and before you know it poof! Doggy is off chasing a bird or a squirrel.
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- Uniquely himself, nearly another autism statistic…
If you didn’t get a chance to get out in nature today, here are some photos from my archive. Perhaps it’s the sunlight and vitamin D or the energy and strength of so many large trees but if I’m in an anxious or distracted mood before going outside, it quickly dissipates even after only being outside for just thirty minutes. Vitamin D penetrates to us even on a dull day, try to remember that when the days are cold and dark. ?
Many children and young people with autism and ADHD are soothed by being outdoors. A gentle breeze and warm sun is calming on the senses and there’s nothing too complicated to process. At the other end of the scale, we know how children react when it’s a blustery day, the wind them up into screaming balls of energy. Much better do that outside than trying to contain all of that energy! I’ve observed children with autism focus all of their senses on the feel of a blade of glass and run wildly, ridding themselves of the anxiety that was tying them up in knots. Kicking leaves can be a masterclass in meditation. There are so many aspects of nature that positively support the natural neurodiverse state of being. Tell me what works for you and yours?
© Suzy Rowland
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