Stress related illnesses in the UK cost around £8.13bn in hospital admissions.

Never has it ever been more important to leave your desk or the sofa, even now that it is getting chilly. Exercise reduces levels of stress. 20 minutes spent in nature can significantly reduce levels of the stress hormone, cortisol. Did you know that stress related illnesses in the UK cost around £8.13bn in hospital admissions? (source : Statisica) As a nation, we can feel the pressure, especially as we approach Christmas. It would be fair to say that most of us have felt SO overwhelmed that we didn’t know if we were coming or going. Clearly, we’ve got a problem!

We’re not going to stand here and suggest that a walk every now and again is going to blow all your worries away. We’re not that optimistic! But even the British Heart Foundation recognises that just 20 minutes spent in nature can significantly reduce levels of the stress hormone, cortisol, within the body.

Don’t despair if you’re not a walker.

If you’re not a walker, please don’t jump off our blog just yet. You don’t have to spend hours walking for exercise to reduce levels of stress. You don’t even need to spend that 20 minutes getting a stride on.

In fact, the British Heart Foundation gave a few good suggestions of “non-walking exercises” in the same article to share with you here:

Feel the sun on your face

Before you laugh, we realise that there is going to be very little sun in the UK between now and the Spring. But when he does put his hat on, it’s worth making a dash for the door and just appreciate the warmth on your skin. It’s at this time of year that our vitamin D levels get a bit low, so take a look at some other ways of getting this into your system.

Brush up on your Monty Don!

There are so many apps out there that help you to identify a tree, plant or shrub just by the shape of its leaves or the colour of its berries. Could you maybe learn more about the flora and fauna in your area to pass the time out of doors? Exercise can reduce your levels of stress whilst enjoying a new hobby perhaps.

Try the National Parks UK inaturalist app and become part of their project.

Listen to the birds.

For any bird lovers in our community, you’ll know just how relaxing it can be to listen out for tweeting birds amongst the trees. In fact, does anyone remember that radio channel which played birdsong throughout the day? Well, now’s your chance to hear it live!

And lastly, we’d love to remind you that even just swapping out the car for a walk to the shops can make a big difference to your stress levels too. As well as saving a little CO2 and helping us plant orchards in schools with The Tree Council when you use the trundl app.

Whether you trundl miles or minutes, a little bit can go a long way and helps UK charities at the same time. So don’t get hung up on how long, we’d just encourage you to leave the desk or sofa.