When you intentionally engage your senses in the world around you, you open up windows of opportunity to experience peace and calm. There are infinite ways that you can do this in nature, and the most simple way is to step outside and look around you. Notice what your eyes are seeing. Notice the textures and the colours around you. Notice the sounds. Breathe in and notice the aromas. Stop, pause, take in the moment. Even for just a moment. 

Our guest today speaks about her experience of doing this in a very special nature space where she lives. In fact, it was the very same space where we recorded this conversation. Tania Bertram loves the outdoors and has built a lifestyle around those aspects of nature that she loves the most and that bring her a sense of peace and calm in the midst of life's stresses. Tania was one of our Outdoors is my Therapy Ambassadors when we launched in 2020, and she's previously shared a story on my blog about her travels around Australia with two young children. After you've listened to this episode, you might like to click on the link in the show notes to have a read of her story and be inspired. But for now, meet my friend Tania. 
 
LINKS

Contact Kathryn via her website

Grab your free Guide to a Perfect Nature Escape Day when you subscribe to the Grounded Inspiration newsletter (limited time)

“Your Personal Day of Retreat: A guide to planning self-care and stress management that really works” e-book

Read the blog post and transcript for "Finding Peacefulness in Nature"

Read Tania's blog post "Family Adventures: Tania’s Story of Travel Around Australia"

Join the Outdoors is my Therapy Facebook Group

Music by Twisterium from Pixabay

Nature provides space for simplicity, tranquility,  peace and quiet as well as space for challenges, risks, and opportunities to stretch your skills and abilities, and expand your knowledge and understanding of the complexity of life.  You can access support in the midst of chaos by finding ways to tap into the simplicity of nature when you need it. 

Today's guest is Jessica Carey who says that the complex simplicity of nature is also a reflection of human nature. Jessica is a returning guest on the podcast. She has an infectious enthusiasm for the outdoors and it's always a joy to share her inspiration with others.

LINKS

Contact Kathryn via her website

Grab your free Guide to a Perfect Nature Escape Day when you subscribe to the Grounded Inspiration newsletter (limited time)

“Your Personal Day of Retreat: A guide to planning self-care and stress management that really works” e-book 

Read the blog post and transcript for The Complex Simplicity of Nature

Contact Jessica Carey

"Movement and Mindset with Jessica Carey" - Transcript from the podcast “Speak Out Loud: Stories of Strength from the Southern Downs” Season 2: Episode 12 (Published 4th April 2022)

Join the Outdoors is my Therapy Facebook Group

Music by Twisterium from Pixabay

Humans are wired to be sometimes predictable, sometimes unpredictable, just like other things in nature. My challenge to you is to notice the elements of predictability and unpredictability in nature and celebrate the wonder of nature being the same yet different. Celebrate the diversity of our world. Get up close. Be curious and be surprised each time you go outside. 

Today's guest loves the unpredictable nature of nature. Jolene Nelson has worked for many years in the outdoors, and she loves to spend her recreational time outside too. In today's episode, Jo shares what inspires her about the outdoors, and she tells us about some of her favourite places. 

LINKS

Read more about Girraween National Park

Read the transcript of this episode on the blog

Grab your free Guide to a Perfect Nature Escape Day when you subscribe to the Grounded Inspiration newsletter (limited time)

“Your Personal Day of Retreat: A guide to planning self-care and stress management that really works” e-book

Contact Kathryn via her website

Join the Outdoors is my Therapy Facebook Group

Music by Twisterium from Pixabay

Meet my friend Krista Bjorn who shares why nature is so important to her. Krista has a particular love of herbs and other plants that are beneficial for healing and nutrition as well as adding beauty to the spaces around her.  She shares her favourite place in the world and has some really practical advice about how nature can support you during stressful times and when you're not feeling well enough to venture outside. We talk about how Krista learnt to notice the little treasures in nature and how that led her to capture them through photography and share them with the world.

 LINKS
Read the transcript via Kathryn's blog

Krista's website

Follow Krista on Instagram  @ramblingtart

Contact Kathryn via her website

Grab your free Guide to a Perfect Nature Escape Day when you subscribe to the Grounded Inspiration newsletter (limited time)

Join the Outdoors is my Therapy Facebook Group

“Your Personal Day of Retreat: A guide to planning self-care and stress management that really works” e-book

Music by Twisterium from Pixabay

Meet my friend Marco Gliori who has an absolute gift for words. Marco lives in the rural Southern Downs Region of Southern Queensland like myself. Today he shares some of his widely acclaimed bush verse with us, "The Million Stars Motel" including what inspired him to write this poem. Marco also chats about his favourite ways to connect with nature at home and on his extensive travels across Australia.

LINKS
Read the transcript via Kathryn's blog

Contact Kathryn via her website

Grab your free Guide to a Perfect Nature Escape Day when you subscribe to the Grounded Inspiration newsletter (limited time)

Join the Outdoors is my Therapy Facebook Group

“Your Personal Day of Retreat: A guide to planning self-care and stress management that really works” e-book

Music by Twisterium from Pixabay

Today, you'll hear from my friend Julia Keogh, who shares with us that the outdoors inspires her to keep moving because however you look at it, the outdoor world is ever changing, it's always moving. And she says having that connection with the natural environment is the best health tonic you can have.

LINKS
Contact Kathryn via her website

Grab your free Guide to a Perfect Nature Escape Day when you subscribe to the Grounded Inspiration newsletter (limited time)

Read the blog post "Nature: The Best Health Tonic You Can Have"

Join the Outdoors is my Therapy Facebook Group

“Your Personal Day of Retreat: A guide to planning self-care and stress management that really works” e-book

Music by Twisterium from Pixabay

In today's episode, you'll hear from my friend Helen Lewis who speaks about awe. Helen lives on a farm near Warwick in southern Queensland where her lifestyle is intimately connected with the outdoors. You'll hear Helen share her sense of awe and her wonder about the natural world around her, the changes that she sees day to day and season to season, and the special spaces and the experiences that inspire her.

 LINKS
Contact Helen Lewis at Picots Farm

The power of feeling small: how awe and wonder sustain us | Julia Baird | TEDxSydney

Phosphorescence: On Awe Wonder and Things That Sustain You When the World Goes Dark by Julia Baird

Contact Kathryn via her website

Grab your free Guide to a Perfect Nature Escape Day when you subscribe to the Grounded Inspiration newsletter (limited time)

Read the blog post "Awe in Nature"

Join the Outdoors is my Therapy Facebook Group

“Your Personal Day of Retreat: A guide to planning self-care and stress management that really works” e-book

Music by Twisterium from Pixabay

 Bushfire recovery, like any disaster recovery, is a journey that takes place over time. In 2019 and 2020 the Southern Downs region in southern Queensland was one of many areas across Australia that was impacted by bushfires in the midst of a severe drought. The emotional, economic and environmental impacts on the region's residents and workers has been huge. In recent months I've been leading a community podcast project that's sharing stories and mental health information to support people on their recovery journey.

In this episode you'll hear some little gems from the community podcast that we called Speak Out Loud: Stories of Strength from the Southern Downs. I've simply loved being able to combine my passion for the outdoors with promoting mental health and wellbeing through this project!

You'll hear words of advice from mental health workers, community workers and residents about sleep, nutrition, stress, psychological strategies, financial stress, where and how to access resources, services and supports, the importance of preparation, expressing gratitude, building hope and more.  If you find any benefit in the little soundbites, you can listen to each of the episodes in full on the podcast app you're using now or you can listen in online.

LINKS
Speak Out Loud: Stories of Strength from the Southern Downs podcast

Grab your free Guide to a Perfect Nature Escape Day when you subscribe to the Grounded Inspiration newsletter (limited time)

Contact Kathryn via her website

Join the Outdoors is my Therapy Facebook Group

Audio production: David Walton & Liam Walton

Today's episode will inspire you to connect with nature to improve your health and wellbeing. You can be intentional about the time you spend with nature whether you love to go away on epic adventures off the beaten track far from the cities and towns, or whether you connect with nature in ordinary everyday ways. Did you know that it's possible to connect with nature and enjoy the benefits even if you can't get outside? And the way you prefer to connect with nature might be different to the way others connect and that’s completely ok.
 
Connecting with nature benefits our physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health. Nature is a place and space to feel fully alive whether it’s through stillness or activity and nature is a judgement-free zone. Where else do you experience that kind of freedom?
 
Nature also has ways of talking us, but not in the usual way that you hear this podcast or read words in a blog. Nature's language is symbolic and can be felt deep in your heart. You simply just need to be there, immersed in a natural environment or with one of nature's gifts to feel supported, connected and understood. It's a space to process your inner and outer life and it reminds you that you're part of a much bigger world.

You can also use your imagination to help you connect with nature when you can't be outside. Visualisation practices are the ultimate virtual reality that can connect you with nature no matter where you are!

LINKS
Grab your free Guide to a Perfect Nature Escape Day when you subscribe to the Grounded Inspiration newsletter (limited time)

Read the blog post How to Connect with Nature

Join the Outdoors is my Therapy Facebook Group

Contact Kathryn via her website

Audio production: David Walton & Liam Walton

My friend and 'Outdoors is my Therapy' Ambassador, Jessica Carey (from ARISE with Jessica Carey) recently joined me for a Nature Escape Day in which we navigated off track and immersed ourselves in the expansiveness of the incredible Granite Belt region in southern Queensland, the traditional lands of the Kambuwal people.  Jessica and I chat about:

• going off the beaten track on a bush walk, but also in business and personally
• the benefits of spending time in nature for mental health and wellbeing
• what it’s like to create your own pathway in life
• the importance of preparedness
• the importance of moving to the edge of fear, embracing vulnerability and trusting your internal navigation system

LINKS
Grab your free Guide to a Perfect Nature Escape Day when you subscribe to the Grounded Inspiration newsletter (limited time)

Download Jessica Carey’s free Rise + Shine Meditation

Purchase Jessica Carey’s Rise + Shine Morning Guidebook

Join the Outdoors is my Therapy Facebook Group

Contact Kathryn via her website

Audio production: David Walton & Liam Walton