By Gemma Peterson, Health, Wellness and Mindset Coach
As a health, wellness and mindset coach, based in West Sussex, I recognised - over the course of the last five years - that there was need for an intervention that could support people's well-being for all ages and fitness abilities, something that everyone can access and enjoy on their own and together as a community.
We wanted to create an opportunity for individuals, of all ages, to spend more time outside and connect back to the basics, by being themselves, and spending time with their families and in nature.
'Grounding', also known as 'earthing', is a therapeutic technique whereby a person connects with the earth by going barefoot on the ground offering positive effects on the body. It's not a new invention, but there's a multitude of scientific research that demonstrates how 'earthing' has shown to improve sleep, increase relaxation, lower stress levels and improve mood.
So, we decided to combine barefoot exercise with mindful meditation along with fitness circuits outside in nature, so that the whole family could take part.
There isn’t anything like this being offered within Sussex and we wanted to create something that was available to help and support people of all ages in the local area with their mental health. 'Nature Blast' is an intervention that offers children and young people the tools they need to self-regulate and relax enabling them to lower their stress levels through exercise and meditation, building upon their levels of resilience, self-belief and communication. It allows the adults to build confidence and reconnect with their families, in a non-verbal manner, enhancing trust and creating stronger routes of communication through body movement, reflection and teamwork.
Trialled in Bosham, West Sussex, the activities took place over the summer and autumn months. Overall, the children and teenagers told us how enjoyed spending time with their families and how they experienced more energy, clearer minds and reduced their stress levels. Many families expressed an interest in having 'Nature Blast' in schools and colleges, as an activity to help with relaxation, concentration, stress reduction and increasing connection among students.
In fact, the success of this study has shown that there is a need and demand for more sessions like this to be offered across a wider area of Sussex (and beyond), with plenty of scope to make this available at local green spaces as well as primary, and secondary schools and colleges.
Gemma Peterson (nee: Le Roy) was awarded an NIHR Individual Development Award by the Applied Research Collaboration Kent, Surrey and Sussex (ARC KSS) to develop and trial the 'Nature Blast' intervention. Read a summary of her findings here.
This research was funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Applied Research Collaboration Kent, Surrey and Sussex.
The views expressed are those of the author and not necessarily those of the NHS, the NIHR or the Department of Health and Social Care.
