The theme for this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week is nature – the ways in which access to green, open space can help our mental health and sense of wellbeing. EG asked some of the real estate professionals who have taken part in our Future Female Leaders programme to send a photo of a view in nature that captures their experiences during the events of the past year. Here are their pictures, along with their words on what the images remind them of.
The past year has materially changed the way we all think and operate. My most surprising lockdown epiphany was my (re)discovery of the merits of owning trainers and wellies. Prior to lockdown, I had little appreciation of the value of outdoor-friendly footwear and, consequently, the calming effect and the benefits of immersing myself in my local environment. I’m sure that I’m not alone in this discovery. Lockdown has enabled many of us to explore our local areas and the green spaces that are usually restricted. This picture is the golf club close to my house, generally closed to the public. Over the past year this has been my family’s happy place. Open to the public, but not widely frequented, this manicured open space has provided much needed respite. Here we were able to create treasured memories – caking ourselves in mud, taking advantage of the unlimited snow for our snowball fights and sitting by the stream for picnics in the sun. Never before had we taken full advantage of the nature on our doorstep, but it has made such a positive difference to our lives – and almost convinced me to take up golf!
During the past year, I have been incredibly lucky to spend some time in the Suffolk countryside. This photo was taken in Snape, after an early morning run. As I’m sure many other people have found, switching off and maintaining a work-life balance has been really challenging while working from home. Walking through the reeds and looking out for all the different types of birds gave me a great start to my day and a chance to reset when I needed it. It’s one of those places which looks amazing whatever the weather, rain or shine. This is also the place that I got engaged in the summer and will be getting married in October (fingers crossed), so a lot of special memories have been made here – and hopefully there will be more to come.
My closest green space is Telegraph Hill Park, which has an incredible view over London. Since getting our Jack Russell pup, Disco, last autumn it’s somewhere I’ve visited every day – sometimes twice. Our morning dog walks are my favourite part of the day and really help me get into the right mindset. I live in a flat with no garden, so it’s been a godsend over lockdown. As lockdown has begun easing, it’s been lovely to see more people spending time in Telegraph Hill Park and enjoying the view with a beer and pizza from a nearby café. If you live in south-east London I can highly recommend it.
The photo shows a view of the short stretch of canal we walk down on the school run each morning. We turn off the busy road and under this bridge for a super short stretch of the route but it is like a little oasis of calm from the busy street above. One of the things I have so appreciated about the past few months, amid the chaos of juggling work and home life, has been (mostly) being available to walk my kids to school; grabbing those precious moments to chat to them before each of us heads into the busyness of the day ahead. But in addition to that, I find getting out of the house for a walk in the morning helps me to reflect on the day ahead and get some steps in before I’m then sat at my desk hopping in and out of virtual meetings for the rest of the day.
As we focus our energy toward moments in nature which give positivity, strength and grounding during Mental Health Awareness Week, this photograph of nature taken at Woodland Memorials is also a stark reminder of what a huge percentage of us all have experienced in some way during this past year. The excruciating loss of a loved one. The seasons have changed around me and many of the people who visit here, a grounding for the passing of time. Each newly planted tree represents life lost. The number of trees has increased rapidly in the past year, yet each tree provides a glimpse of hope at the epicentre of loss. In this image, spring is approaching, the new little rowan tree has already seen snow and sunshine in its short life. Now the buds are growing and the daffodils are rising up from below for company. For me, this space in nature captures the tranquil awe and beauty of human life.
When the first lockdown happened, my city flat was undergoing major works, was uninhabitable and remained that way until six months later. I found myself living with my parents in the countryside where I was brought up. Lockdown gave me a chance to get reacquainted. I turned soil beds, I planted seeds and I ate what we grew. The space, the greenery, the silence of man-made noise and the sound filling the air with birdsong or just, simply, quiet. I walked every day and it gave me time to think and decant. It also gave me time with one of my parents who joined my “boot camp” – walked with me, lost weight and is now a much fitter and healthier 70-plus year old in a new routine of daily exercise – for the body and mind. We spotted and observed quietly so much wildlife and beauty on our walks. But it was these two that were the most smile inducing. The hairstyle of the one on the right summed up most people’s lockdown hair perfectly. My favourite moment was watching the reaction of my five-month-old puppy when he heard them “eeyore”. I never did find out their names but they were a constant on my five-mile walking loop in a tumultuous year. In hindsight, being stranded in the countryside was probably the best thing to have happened to me.
