It is common for going outside into nature to be recommended as a simple way to reduce stress and improve wellbeing. Several studies conducted in the last decade evidence this claim, with an NHS study concluding that “exposure to green and blue spaces has been linked to improvements in physical health including a reduction in cortisol levels, blood pressure, cholesterol and increases in self-reported health”. The NHS offers a wide array of mental health services; however, waiting lists for many of them, such as their talking therapies, are too long for some people to be able to afford to wait. Coupled with the ever-growing evidence on nature’s benefits on mental health, it makes sense why the NHS now funds one project offering this environmental therapy, Dose of Nature.
Dose of Nature operates in London, going beyond a simple recommendation to ‘go touch some grass’. Clients are referred directly by their GPs as an alternative to medication or more traditional forms of therapy. Clients must then complete assessment and discussion with a psychologist before entering the course, where they are paired with a trained volunteer guide for eight weekly sessions outside.
The locations of these one-to-one sessions are usually in a place near the client’s residence or, if that is not possible, at Pensford Field. In a big urban city like London, many people have very limited access to any types of green spaces. However, the founder of Dose of Nature, Alison Greenwood, highlights that “It does not need to be a hike through beautiful countryside. Sitting on a local park bench is just as good.”
The initiative’s main goal is to allow their clients to connect to nature, and that includes in whatever place or way works best for them. This approach makes them more cost-effective and, thus, more accessible than other options like medication. Georgina Gould, clinical lead for Dose of Nature, assures that “whilst we are in a wealthy borough, we do have a lot of people who are on lower income and from diverse communities”.
Dose of Nature also offers free group activities for clients once their eight sessions are finished. With all these options and benefits, it is unsurprising that Dose of Nature is outperforming standard NHS talking therapies. The project is helping improve hundreds of people’s wellbeing by reconnecting them with nature.
