{"id":28926,"date":"2021-05-14T13:22:29","date_gmt":"2021-05-14T12:22:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/unitelive.org\/?p=28926"},"modified":"2021-05-14T14:13:21","modified_gmt":"2021-05-14T13:13:21","slug":"working-with-the-grain-of-nature","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/?p=28926","title":{"rendered":"\u00e2\u20ac\u0098Working with the grain of nature\u00e2\u20ac\u2122"},"content":{"rendered":"
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While the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns may have suddenly and mercilessly separated us all from our normal lives, it brought many closer to the one thing that couldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t be taken from us \u00e2\u20ac\u201c nature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And at a time when huge swathes of the country lost loved ones, or their jobs, or even simply a sense of normality, this collective reconnection with nature happened just when we needed it most.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the Mental Health Foundation\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Mental Health Awareness Week this week, the theme this year \u00e2\u20ac\u201c connecting with nature \u00e2\u20ac\u201c couldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t be more apt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Research from the Mental Health Foundation found that people\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s top coping strategy in lockdown was going for a walk outside; 45 per cent of those surveyed in a poll said being in green spaces during the pandemic was vital for their mental health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unite Tolpuddle branch rep and farm worker John Burbidge, who\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s spent the vast majority of his life living and working in nature, is a case in point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He spoke to UNITElive about his experiences. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said, \u00e2\u20ac\u015bWhen you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve lost your bearings \u00e2\u20ac\u201c with all the pressures all of us face like childcare, love or family relationships, work \u00e2\u20ac\u201c that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s where I think nature can really help. The sky, the wind, the rain \u00e2\u20ac\u201c just the world as it is \u00e2\u20ac\u201c it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s really affirming.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bHaving long horizons, and seeing the change in the seasons and the weather is a brilliant counter for all the pressures that are thrown on people.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n\n\n\n

John believes that what\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s so comforting and compelling about nature is that it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s the polar opposite of modern life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 Nature\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s vital lesson<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bPeople are all the time under so much pressure \u00e2\u20ac\u201c you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re working faster, working more efficiently, it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s always rushing, with the boss demanding if you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve finished yet. All those pressures are not of the natural world \u00e2\u20ac\u201c that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s something for us to challenge. We should be enjoying life as opposed to being overwhelmed by it \u00e2\u20ac\u201c this the vital lesson that nature has to teach us.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 John described how many of the processes involved in farm work have brought him closer to nature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 \u00e2\u20ac\u015bJust feeling the soil and looking at the soil, looking at plants, their health or their diseases, those kind of elemental things require time and consideration; it requires a peaceful situation to evaluate. That\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s again the alternative to how our modern lives are \u00e2\u20ac\u201c all of the time our normal lives drive us away from that considered, natural approach to the world and to people.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 Although he is passionate about his work and countryside life, he believes farm work and rural living in and of themselves aren\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t always conducive to having a strong connection with nature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 \u00e2\u20ac\u015bAs we know, poor mental health and ill health are very much connected with low-incomes and insecurity \u00e2\u20ac\u201c and in the countryside there\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a lot of insecurity in work,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 he explained. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bMuch of it is low-paid and seasonal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Being part of Unite is key<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bMany of us farm workers suffer the same alienation from the natural world that we should be part of,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 he added. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bWe\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re removed from it because of the work that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s not balanced with nature and ourselves. That\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s why being part of Unite is so important \u00e2\u20ac\u201c because respecting others and being respected in work and in life is an elementary part of feeling okay with the world and all that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s in it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 Despite the fact that his work did not change much in lockdown, like so many of us, John felt upended by the sudden disconnection with his normal life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 \u00e2\u20ac\u015bLockdown didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t alter things a great deal for me,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 John explained. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bBut what it did alter for me was the social side of life which underlined just how important people are to us all \u00e2\u20ac\u201c the interaction between us is so fundamental.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 \u00e2\u20ac\u015bYes, the natural world became much more apparent in lockdown for many of us \u00e2\u20ac\u201c it was as if birdsong was everywhere \u00e2\u20ac\u201c but it also served to highlight how important other people are. Connecting with nature and with other people aren\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t opposites \u00e2\u20ac\u201c they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re two sides of the same coin and we need both.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 The importance of properly engaging with nature is in fact backed up by scientific research.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bEvidence shows us that the quality of our relationship with nature is part of the reason for its positive impact on our wellbeing,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 the Mental Health Foundation noted. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bResearchers use the term \u00e2\u20ac\u0098connectedness\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 to describe the ideal relationship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 \u00e2\u20ac\u015bA strong connection with nature means feeling a close relationship or an emotional attachment to our natural surroundings. Quality counts.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Mental Health Foundation highlighted that those who have higher levels of connectedness to nature report higher levels of overall happiness and also have lower levels of depression and anxiety. Unsurprisingly, they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re also more likely to engage in pro-environmental behaviours like recycling and buying seasonal food.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 For John, developing this respect for nature is key to our overall wellbeing. Above all, he says, connecting with nature means meeting it on its own terms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 \u00e2\u20ac\u015bWe need to work with the grain of nature and treasure time and space. Going into nature we have to realise that the natural world is there and it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s not to be dominated; it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s not to be battled with. As we ourselves learn to respect nature, we learn to be kind to ourselves and to others.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00c2\u00a0FIND OUT MORE:<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can find out more about the Mental Health Awareness Week and tips on connecting with nature on the Mental Health Foundation\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s website here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

 Also don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t miss our forthcoming feature and exclusive film, where freelance worker Colin tells us how his connection to the natural world has helped him improve his mental health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00c2\u00a0Stay tuned to UNITElive<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00c2\u00a0By Hajera Blagg<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

While the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns may have suddenly and mercilessly separated us all from our normal lives, it brought many closer to the one thing that couldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t be taken from us \u00e2\u20ac\u201c nature. And at a time when huge swathes of the country lost loved ones, or their jobs, or even simply a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":28924,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[17],"tags":[42,351,448,928,1642],"wps_subtitle":"In this year\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Mental Health Awareness Week, farmworker John Burbidge tells us the importance of treasuring \u00e2\u20ac\u0098time and space\u00e2\u20ac\u2122","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28926"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=28926"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28926\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":28930,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28926\/revisions\/28930"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/28924"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=28926"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=28926"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=28926"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}