Nature As Balm To Loneliness

May 9th – 15th is Mental Health Awareness Week and this year the theme is loneliness. 

Many of you already know that we’re passionate about the importance of looking after our own mental health and supporting the mental health of our loved ones. 

While most of our guests come as couples, families or groups of friends, being in company doesn’t necessarily mean that as individuals we aren’t feeling lonely.  To feel connected we need to feel seen and it is our dearest wish that by offering a peaceful place in which to relax that we help people to be the truest version of themselves, be brave enough to share how they are feeling and by doing so, reconnect with their loved ones in a way that feels meaningful.

The pandemic has been particularly hard on teenagers and young adults and we’re often hearing that it’s our visiting youngsters who’ve been struggling with anxiety and depression as a consequence of the loneliness they’ve felt while their lives have been disrupted or put on hold.  

One of the things we know can help is spending time in a natural environment. That time spent outdoors can have a profoundly restorative effect – soothing anxiety and lifting mood. We are always mindful that guests have often chosen Swallowtail Hill exactly with this in mind – we’re the space, a gap in the day to day routine in which to pause, take a breathe and find a purpose again.

If you’re visiting soon, you’ll see that we have a fundraising box in the honesty shop in aid of the Mental Health Foundation.