Find enlightenment in nature during the dark days of winter

OFTEN it’s tempting to ignore the news, especially when it’s as grim and unrelenting as it has been so far in 2026.

- Andy Beer

A daily dose of nature during the winter can do wonders to lift the seasonal blues

When that happens to me, it’s normally a sign that I need to get outside.In the spring this is easy, as everything is bursting into life and who doesn’t love a warm summer’s day. But in the cold and dark of winter, it’s harder to motivate myself, even when I know I’ll feel better for it.

Like many people, I find the descent into the dark days of winter saps my spirits and causes me to hunker down.

Whatever the season however, a daily dose of nature and the outdoors can be a wonderful antidote. Even on a freezing night, getting as much fresh air as I can or stomping outside in the rain lifts my spirits.

It might feel like everything in nature has shut down for the winter, but with a careful eye, there are so many things that can bring delight. And, you can see them everywhere.

Some of them are tiny and simple. In winter, the bright yellow flash of lichen on an elder tree is delightful in the low sun.