A prescription for nature
Shannon Johnson with a chickadee at Point Pleasant Park, Halifax
Shannon Johnson, PhD, is on a mission to inspire people to get outside. She’s a Halifax-based clinical psychologist and Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience at Dalhousie, and her research is dedicated to understanding the mental and cognitive benefits for people who spend time in and connect with nature.
Shannon not only advocates getting outside more often, but also lives by this ethos.
“We all need nature in our lives,” she says. “It’s a basic human drive that many of us have been disconnected from or maybe never had the chance to explore.”
Like many middle-aged women, Shannon is experiencing menopause. She finds that “being outside and in nature has been so helpful for managing the ups and downs this phase of life brings.”
In addition to her clinical practice and her research at Dalhousie University, she’s also advocating to bring a project called PaRx: A Prescription for Nature to Nova Scotia. According to its website, PaRx is breaking ground as Canada's first national, evidence-based nature prescription program. This program has rolled out in British Columbia, Ontario, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Shannon hopes Nova Scotia will be next.
What is a prescription for nature, exactly?
Supported by their provincial health authorities, physicians and other health professionals have expanded their toolkits to include prescriptions for patients to spend time outdoors.
Shannon Johnson and Oliva Bornik in Vancouver, BC
Research has shown that being outside confers physical, psychological and cognitive benefits. For example, stepping outside can help reduce your blood pressure, stress and anxiety levels, and decrease your chance of developing diabetes. Shannon says, “it’s also been shown that outdoor activities can improve cognitive abilities in people of all ages.”
Finding balance
Shannon spends time in nature to clear her head, decrease feelings of stress and increase her energy level. “I’m a very busy person and have a lot of stress in my life,” she says. “I’ve learned that spending time in nature on a regular basis helps me feel more focused and sharper at work and at home, and it keeps me feeling more positive and in a better place emotionally.”
The COVID-19 pandemic has put the need to manage stress into sharper focus for Shannon. She describes spending time outdoors as putting money in her stress-management bank. “The more I do it, the better I am able to handle whatever comes my way, which keeps me motivated to keep getting outside.”
Start small
Changing your habits to spend more time in nature may seem difficult, based on family or work obligations, or just feeling too busy.
Shannon and son, Harrison Grasse, hiking at Five Islands Provincial Park
A key thing to keep in mind if you want to incorporate better habits into your life is that small changes add up. Shannon has some advice for women who struggle to find time. “Try to eat a meal or take your break outside instead of in front of your screen,” she says. “My work is almost all on a screen these days and I, too, find it hard to tear myself away from my computer. If I have my lunch outside or take a short walk during a break, I feel much better after.”
Whatever your schedule, it’s important to remember that everyone deserves time in nature— even you. “Treat yourself to a few minutes in your backyard, a local park or just resting on a bench in a beautiful location,” Shannon says. “Take some deep breaths, look around you and take it all in, and then close your eyes and notice what you hear and feel.”
The good news is that when you allow yourself to reconnect with nature, it will help you feel motivated to get outside more often.
Shannon with daughter, Piper Grasse (and dog Willow) at Argyle Shore Provincial Park, PEI
Let’s do this
Okay, you’re ready to tie your laces and get outside. But where to start?
Shannon’s activity of choice is walking or biking in the woods. For her daughter, it’s being at the beach or swimming. For one of her friends, it’s bird-watching, and for another, it’s gardening.
“There’s no right or wrong and no magic formula; it’s about spending time outdoors and connecting with nature in any way that works for you,” she says.
If you need more inspiration, Shannon has loads of ideas to keep you moving outside all year long:
Year-round activities:
Fall:
Take a fall colour walk or hike – collect leaves along the way
Rake leaves
Harvest the garden
Go apple or pumpkin picking
Visit local farmers markets
Attend a fall festival (there are many in Nova Scotia)
Winter:
Play in the snow (build snow forts, make snow angels or just tromp around like you did when you were a kid)
Keep walking (try ice cleats on your shoes or boots to avoid slipping https://www.wapititravel.com/blog/en/best-ice-cleats-for-walking/)
Skate at the Halifax Oval or your local pond or lake (you can check ice thickness here for HRM)
Enjoy a hot beverage outdoors with a friend
Visit a sugar bush (mid-February to mid-April is peak season)
Spring:
Find a local park and enjoy the spring blooms
Start a vegetable or flower garden at home, or help with your local community garden
Clean up the yard
Ride a bike
Visit a local farm or wildlife park
Fly a kite
Set up a bird feeder and start learning about the birds that visit you
Plan a camping trip at a provincial or national park (most campsite reservations open in April)
Summer:
Garden at home or get involved in a local community garden
Mow the lawn
Have a picnic
Eat meals outdoors
Wade or swim in a lake or the ocean
Go fishing
Forage for wild berries
Toss around a ball or Frisbee with a friend or kid
Visit local farmers markets
Go camping
Try out an electric scooter or bike
Shannon encourages her clients to pick an activity that sounds fun to them. Engaging in outdoor activity doesn’t have to be a chore. It can be enjoyable and healthy at the same time. She says, “If I find it boring or uninteresting, I know I won’t keep doing it in the long term. That’s why being active in nature works so well for me. I never get bored with nature; it’s always beautiful, interesting and inspiring.” She added that it helps to find a friend or family member who will come along on your outdoor adventure.
Shannon has some final thoughts of inspiration to get you outside. “Take some time to treat yourself to any outdoor activity that you enjoy and notice how this affects you. Remember that any movement and any time outdoors is beneficial and will have a positive impact!”
What are your favourite activities to do outdoors? What keeps you moving on the days you feel stretched thin? Tell us in the comments below.