And hello to you and welcome to the Richard Nichols podcast, the Personal Development

podcast series that's here to help inspire, educate and motivate you to be the best you can be.

I'm psychotherapist Richard Nichols and this is episode 198. It's titled Nature. And if you're

ready, we'll start the show. All right, you buttes. It's the middle of May and that means

it's Mental Health Awareness Week in the UK, a week long promotion from the Mental Health Foundation.

And this year, their focus has been on nature, experiencing it, sharing it, and, of course, talking about it.

So if you don't already follow me on social media, if you use it, please do.

I'll add links into the show notes.

They're always there. They're on my website as well, though. You can just find me. I use Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. If you follow me on there, you can have a nosy at some of the

posts that I've already put up this week about how the natural world can influence our mental health,

if you like, and maybe do something of your own to help spread the word. The reason for this

is because there's been tons of research over the years that's shown the importance of experiencing

and appreciating the natural world. But I don't want it to be just for one week. I don't want people

to only consider that there is more to life than concrete and offices for just a few days and then go

back to what they were doing and how they were feeling for the other 51 weeks of the year.

If you've read my book and if you haven't, I have a book out. You might not

have known that. It's called 15 Minutes to Happiness. Go get a copy from the library or even

buy one if you want. No matter what you do, leave a review. Well, if you liked it, leave a review.

If you didn't like it, keep your opinions to yourself. But quick spoiler, if you haven't

read it yet, the foundations to the book are not just about the quick, short-term tricks and tips to boost your happiness in the moment.

And I get that's what people want.

We're in a world of instant grab glue and streaming immediate film rentals and fast food.

...