Time to reflect - Nature based stress management course

Nature based course for people who experience negative effects of stress on their health and quality of life and need time to reflect and acquire tools to strenghten resilience, energy and health recovery.

The aim of the course:

1. That participants gain insight into the diverse effect of negative stress and what has a positive effect on daily life and work.

2. That participants should gain direct experience of methods tha promote rest, stress relief and stress management, e.g. through relaxation, simple breathing and mindfulness execises and mindful walks in nature.

Emphases is placed on ways to transfer lessons and experiences from the course to daily life.

Course structure:

1. Education/tools: Education about tools and methods and different ways that promote health and increase the quality of life in daily life and work. At each time, different themes / emphases are addressed that can contribute to stress relief and stress management.

2. Healing power of nature – nature connection. Leisurely walks in diverse nature. Calm walks with mindfulness training at all times, short walks in different nature are chosen. You walk along the sea, water, forest, stream and lava around Hafnarfjörður. Walks are partial in silence, a combination of mindfulness and nature connection.  

3. Deep relaxation: Relaxation is the opposite of stress. Deep relaxation reduces pain, muscle tension and anxiety, strengthens the nervous system, improves concentration and sleep and provides rest and recovery. At each time, participants are offered deep relaxation using Yoga Nidra and Gong relaxation techniques.

Ideology and guidelines:

The course is based on the ideology of occupational therapy, the ideology of Experiential Learning and Mindfulness / Insight Meditation.

Research:

Research has been done on the course by Berglind Guðmundsdóttir as Master’s thesis in School of Social Sciences University of Iceland.

„The goal of the research was to discover how participants experienced the effects of nature in a four weeks course that uses nature as a treatment method. The aim was also to find out if the results could indicate about the quality and success of the course. All participants where dealing with stress related problems“.

„The results of the research showed that the effects of nature did have a positive influence on stress levels for the participants. Participants said that dwelling in nature under the guidance of a professional mentor as support helped them achieve a certain calmness and concentration to solve emotional problems that than had a positive effect on stress symptoms. The results also showed positive changes in the behaviour and wellbeing and the participants felt it was easier to cope with life. The importance of the instructors and course format was also emphasized, as the work was based on the theories of experiential learning where reflection was used“.