2.3 Nature as a support of wellbeing

What does nature mean to me?

In different cultures, nature means different things
Nature and a forest can be a safe and nice place
For someone it can mean scary and unsafe place. How is it for you
Life experiences affect how experiencing the nature
In Finland people usually experience nature as a relaxing places which affect wellbeing

Practice 1:

Explain what does nature and walking in a nature mean to you personally? Do you feel good and relaxed there? Would you like to walk there by yourself, or would you prefer company?

Walking at nature

There are many different studies about the connection between nature and wellbeing and health.
According to these studies our physical and mental wellbeing increases in nature environment.
Regular walking in a nature relaxes ourselves, relives anxiety and stress, decreases the blood pressure and heart beating.
Sometimes looking at he pictures about the beautiful nature can cause these same effects.

Nature means different things to different people. It can be forest, meadow, mountain, river see or lake.
It can be a park in a city too.

Practice 2: Think a moment about walking in a nature. Have you been in a forest? What kind of feelings forest awakes in you? What else can you do in a nature than walk around?

Exercising in a nature is an easy way to support your wellbeing and management of everyday life.
Exercising in a nature is varies because you can choose different environments: in a forest, at lake, in a park.
Different seasons bring variety and nature has different modes depending on the season,
At first exercising in nature can feel odd. You may think what kind of animals there exist and is it safe to walk in a forest.
You may ask someone to walk with you.

Practice 3: Watch the video: A moment in a nature

What did you see in a video
What kind of voices did you hear
What kind of feelings and thoughts you had when watching the video

Practice 4: Start to look around your own environment:

What kind of nature surroundings you can see
Is it possible to walk to the forest
Are you ready to have a small trip to the forest? Make a plan when to go there.

Our rights in a nature?

Exercising in a nature is easy in Finland.
You have a right to trip and walk in a nature without asking a permission from anyone.
You don´t have to pay anything to anyone to walk in a nature.
You can pick up berries and mushrooms if you want to.
Everyone has, however, to remember that you have to keep up sustainable principles.
You can´t harm the nature (plants, animals,) or the other people.
You can´t thrash in a forest or in other natural targets.
You can´t travel to other person´s courtyard without permission

You are able to:

exercise in a nature by walking, running, skiing or biking in other places than anyone´s courtyard or farmland or fields with plants.
dwell temporary in areas where exercising is allowed (camping far enough from nearest buildings)
pick up berries, mushrooms and flowers growing wild in a nature
fish with fishing pole and practice ice fishing.
walk and exercise in body in body of water.

You are not allowed to

cause harm to nature or the other people,
disturb birds nesting or disturb other animals,
log or harm the trees,
pick up moss, lichen or soil,
go to the other person´s courtyard, buildings or fields,
trash,
travel with motor vehicle in nature terrain without permission of the owner of land,
fish or hunt without local permissions.

When you want to camp or travel in a nature you are not familiar with, remember:

to take care that you don´t get lost
to make yourself familiar with the map. Learn how to use a map.
plan your trip with labelled path
take a good care that you have suitable clothes for the season and the nature
let your acquaintances and close people to know where you are heading
take with you enough water and food to manage

Material progressed

1 Everyday life in Finland

1.1 Welfare and well-being1.2. Participating and influencing the environment1.3. Health, wellbeing and culture1.4. Activities of daily living1.6. Equality and discrimination1.7. A child and everyday living in Finland1.8. Child´s protection and child welfare

2 Coping and sustaining wellbeing

2.1 Stress and crises2.2 Managing the stressful situation2.3 Nature as a support of wellbeing2.4 Relaxation2.5 Self-destructive thoughts and self-destruction2.6 Where to seek help?

3 Work in Finland

3.1 Working culture in Finland3.2 Education3.3 Labour legislation3.4 General work life skills3.5 Job seeking3.6 Stages in a job seeking process3.7 Job application and CV

4 Professional Competence and competence development

4.1 Earning and proving your competence4.2 Assessing your own competence4.3 Professional competence4.4 Demonstrating the competence4.5 Recognition and comparing the degrees earned previously in countries of origin4.6 Developing your own competence

Digital Material

Car MechanicElectrician

2.3 Nature as a support of wellbeing

What does nature mean to me?

In different cultures, nature means different things

Nature and a forest can be a safe and nice place

For someone it can mean scary and unsafe place. How is it for you

Life experiences affect how experiencing the nature

In Finland people usually experience nature as a relaxing places which affect wellbeing

Practice 1:

Explain what does nature and walking in a nature mean to you personally? Do you feel good and relaxed there? Would you like to walk there by yourself, or would you prefer company?

Walking at nature

There are many different studies about the connection between nature and wellbeing and health.

According to these studies our physical and mental wellbeing increases in nature environment.

Regular walking in a nature relaxes ourselves, relives anxiety and stress, decreases the blood pressure and heart beating.

Sometimes looking at he pictures about the beautiful nature can cause these same effects.

Nature means different things to different people. It can be forest, meadow, mountain, river see or lake.

It can be a park in a city too.

Practice 2: Think a moment about walking in a nature. Have you been in a forest? What kind of feelings forest awakes in you? What else can you do in a nature than walk around?

Exercising in a nature is an easy way to support your wellbeing and management of everyday life.

Exercising in a nature is varies because you can choose different environments: in a forest, at lake, in a park.

Different seasons bring variety and nature has different modes depending on the season,

At first exercising in nature can feel odd. You may think what kind of animals there exist and is it safe to walk in a forest.

You may ask someone to walk with you.

Practice 3: Watch the video: A moment in a nature

What did you see in a video

What kind of voices did you hear

What kind of feelings and thoughts you had when watching the video

Practice 4: Start to look around your own environment:

What kind of nature surroundings you can see

Is it possible to walk to the forest

Are you ready to have a small trip to the forest? Make a plan when to go there.

Our rights in a nature?

Exercising in a nature is easy in Finland.

You have a right to trip and walk in a nature without asking a permission from anyone.

You don´t have to pay anything to anyone to walk in a nature.

You can pick up berries and mushrooms if you want to.

Everyone has, however, to remember that you have to keep up sustainable principles.

You can´t harm the nature (plants, animals,) or the other people.

You can´t thrash in a forest or in other natural targets.

You can´t travel to other person´s courtyard without permission

You are able to:

exercise in a nature by walking, running, skiing or biking in other places than anyone´s courtyard or farmland or fields with plants.

dwell temporary in areas where exercising is allowed (camping far enough from nearest buildings)

pick up berries, mushrooms and flowers growing wild in a nature

fish with fishing pole and practice ice fishing.

walk and exercise in body in body of water.

You are not allowed to

cause harm to nature or the other people,

disturb birds nesting or disturb other animals,

log or harm the trees,

pick up moss, lichen or soil,

go to the other person´s courtyard, buildings or fields,

trash,

travel with motor vehicle in nature terrain without permission of the owner of land,

fish or hunt without local permissions.

When you want to camp or travel in a nature you are not familiar with, remember:

to take care that you don´t get lost

to make yourself familiar with the map. Learn how to use a map.

plan your trip with labelled path

take a good care that you have suitable clothes for the season and the nature

let your acquaintances and close people to know where you are heading

take with you enough water and food to manage