Spending time in nature has proven benefits for mental health, offering a space to unwind, reflect, and find relief from daily stresses.
Amidst the greenery of our allotment, one service user found inspiration to write a poem about how our ecotherapy service has supported their mental health and wellbeing.
Inspire Me by Anon
Seasons flow from one cycle to the next and change as do we, nothing stays the same, not even us,
Our Lives, like the plants, are grown, nurtured, nourished and we evolve as a collective, there is no such word as ‘singular’ here,
Stabilising ourselves on the shoulders of staff, volunteers and each other for days when we feel like we have fallen down and our precious leaves have wilted,
Our personalities are like the flowers, united as one whatever the weather,
We stand out from the weeds and grow freely whilst basking in the magnificent shade that shields us here,
There are no what-ifs, no self-doubts, no blame or shame, it is only our safe and expressive place, he who should know of it that is of course.
At this great place, there are no deadlines, meetings, hustle and bustle or any other outside noise,
There is just us with our roots and noses firmly set to the ground with our heads held high,
Grateful for the whispers of the wind blowing all over our skin and we drink our fill from the rain whilst the sun blesses us with its warm glow that spreads with it its merry cheer, here there is no one day that is the same,
This place accepts our quirky traits, eccentricities, our past and present, even the who we are right down to our core with no questions asked or fingers raised,
No one cross-examines us with question after question of the how, when, what, neither do we have anything to prove to anyone only ourselves,
In balance with nature, growing resilient, learning, becoming stronger, evolving and taking shape for whatever the next phases of our lives may be.