Experiencing nature differently: ADHD

Andy Fry

WildCall Officer

As an adult with ADHD, I find myself struggling with the monotony of everyday life. The effort of maintaining concentration, staying motivated, and keeping track of appointments, responsibilities and all my belongings can send me into burnout, which I experienced recently. In the midst of this, I spent a day volunteering at Burton Pond helping to manage the heathland there, following which I felt a noticeable calm and clarity that eluded me before, prompting me to write this blog.

An estimated 2.6 million people in the UK have ADHD, and the condition is being recognised more than ever in both children and adults. Increased understanding of ADHD, coupled with urbanisation and the switch to home-working since the pandemic, has led to a spike in diagnoses, with symptoms often exacerbated by sedentary lifestyles.

Exposure to nature has a plethora of benefits for our wellbeing that can be experienced by everybody, from exercise and stress relief to a boosted immune system. Some of these are particularly evident in those with ADHD, with studies showing as little as twenty minutes in nature can significantly decrease symptoms. Moreover, exposure to green spaces has been found to improve concentration, short-term memory, anxiety and mental fatigue, all of which are common issues for people with ADHD.

Facts and statistics aside, I always find a walk in the woods allows me to take the weight off my shoulders, slow my thoughts, and just take in the sounds and sights without the stresses I’ve accumulated throughout the day. I love satisfying my curiosity by turning over a rock or peering into a tree, and the opportunity too sit and watch a bird without worrying about what’s next.

From now on, I will endeavour to spend more time immersed in nature, away form the screen, and so should you.