How does staying in nature develop resilience in children?

  

Mental resilience is a concept in psychology that describes a person's ability to cope with crisis situations and adapt to unexpected changes in his life.

Mental resilience is influenced by personality traits and temperament and in addition, develops during life.

We can influence and help our children develop mental resilience, a kind of immune system that will help them cope with situations of distress and stress.

A close and beneficial relationship with our children helps them feel secure and know that in difficult situations they will receive our support.

At the same time, our children also need to face challenges tailored to them, in a supportive environment, in order to feel capable and confident in their strengths to face difficulties.

Such challenges are constantly present in our children's lives, even at the daily and routine level of coping at different stages of development (from childhood to adolescence), transitions between frameworks, tests, sometimes following family crises or emergencies such as war, epidemic, natural disaster.

Read more informative and spicy articles;

 

The stay in nature

Studies have shown that stay and activity in nature is one of the most effective ways to develop mental resilience:

In a natural space like a park or field, there is more space for exploration and experience and we can flex the rules.

This is a place where you can run and climb (under supervision if necessary) even if you get dirty, or something spills we are more forgiving. And this is an opportunity for children to experience and feel their body and their power.

In nature all the senses are activated, which creates more alertness and attention to the environment. The stimuli in nature, are adapted to our senses and therefore create an optimal level of arousal and not for example, over-arousal that is encountered when the children are in front of screens for a long time. The connection to the living and natural world helps to reduce psychological, emotional, and mental stress, mainly through activity and listening to the environment.

 

How does nature actually develop the mental resilience of our children?

Nature longs for dealing with situations of danger and learning how to behave and take care of ourselves. For example, dress in long clothes when walking in a field of thorns, drink a lot, and wear a hat when it is hot. Walk on paved paths. Learning and knowing how to deal with risk situations reduces anxiety and gives a sense of ability to deal with the situation.

 

By looking at processes that take place in nature, such as the seasons, one can learn about sequence and cycles. Sequence perception is an important cognitive skill in our ability to deal with a crisis and helps us understand from past experiences that even if we experience difficulties in the present, the situation may change and improve in the future.

You can follow the trees throughout the year, see that in the fall they shed their leaves, in the winter they are bare, but in the spring the leaves grow back, and the tree blooms and blooms again as it was the previous spring.

 

Even if we live in the city it is possible and possible to find daily opportunities to go out to the park or public garden, to a nearby field, and even bring nature home:

grow plants and vegetables in planters, on outdoor trips collect fallen leaves and fruit, and make works of art.

Going out and connecting the children to the living environment and the surrounding community will also strengthen our children's sense of belonging and security.

 

So go out into nature. Take a walk, observe, and improve the mental resilience of both your child and yours.