Written by : Madam Wan Azurani Wan Ahmad

 

Self-recharge, or in another word, self-motivation, is an act of giving ourselves a shot of motivation after going through various activities in our daily lives. I have written a topic on Self-recharge before in the psychology column of BKUPM’s Facebook, however, the piece I’m writing here is focusing specifically on one of the many types of therapy which is Nature Therapy.

 

What is Nature Therapy? Therapy is a treatment for both physical and mental injuries without actually using any types of medication or surgery. Meanwhile, nature refers to our environment and surroundings, any living things or non-living things that exist naturally on the surface of the earth, or even part of it. It can also be called flora and fauna.

 

According to Haliza Abdul Rahman, 2019, besides medication, nature can act as a therapy towards people afflicted with mental illness which is increasing rapidly among societies. This is because nature possesses qualities that can help reduce our stress, improve our focus, encourage creativity, and also, improve our self-confidence. Hence, nature can help give us peace of mind and heart, as well as, help in treating people afflicted with mental illness in our society.

 

Daljit Singh Karam, 2017, in his article entitled, ‘Forest Therapy for Psychiatric Patient’, mentioned that forest therapy is one of the methods practiced in developed countries, such as Japan, Europe and North America to help reduce the stress among their psychiatric patients. The forest, which is a part of nature, is a place that can provide tranquillity. According to him, forest therapy is not only an alternative in reducing mental illness, but it is also economical.

 

Thus, nature therapy is seen not only as an alternative treatment to relax the mind of individuals with mental health disorders, but can even be an alternative to create calm and contribute to a healthy mind as well as a source of motivation to anyone, especially to nature lovers.

 

Nature therapy can make individuals appreciate every being. Every creature that Allah has created has its own function and uniqueness. From the tiniest particle to all of the beings that can be seen with the naked eye, all are unique and proof of the power of the Creator. If we look into the details of every type of flora and fauna including mountains, hills, trees, birds, all are very unique and beautiful with a variety of colours and patterns, so much so that we cannot even begin to imagine its uniqueness.

 

Looking at every creation can make us realize that we are only one tiny creation compared to thousands or millions even of His other creations. Indirectly, it can make us appreciate ourselves more and also every creature that inhabits the earth.

 

Nature therapy can create a sense of gratitude. When we appreciate everything around us, there will be a sense of gratitude for what we have. This feeling makes our instincts, emotions and soul calmer and happier.

 

Nature therapy can give us a sense of calmness. Therapy with the colourful flora and fauna with natural beauty provides therapy for the eyes, heart and mind. For example, the green foliage of the tree evokes a sense of peace, pleasure, happiness, freshness and serenity. Relax your mind for a moment and appreciate the greenery of nature to relax your eyes and calm your mind. The eye watches while the heart is grateful for all the blessings that have been bestowed by the Almighty Creator.

 

How can this therapy be applied? Allocate yourself time with nature. Activities such as planting, seeing, exploring will give us time with nature, at the same time provide therapy by diverting and relaxing our minds and thoughts for a moment from our busy schedules. Nature therapy is also able to reduce feelings of stress and lead to a more positive emotion. It is not surprising that currently, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic, planting, running (jogging), hill climbing (hiking), cycling, have become among ‘viral’ activities carried out by Malaysians. They are not only healthy activities that bring benefits to the body, but also provide us with a healthy, productive and quality mind.

 

In conclusion, as a human being, we need to take good and perfect care of our overall functionality. Selfcare is very important in order to make life have more quality for oneself and for others. Various aspects of our lives need to be balanced and well taken care of. Physical, emotional, spiritual, intellectual aspects have to be parallel to each other. The nature of humans is that we will return to our Creator. RECHARGE yourself, in hopes to be able to give yourself better motivation and be able to contribute better to others.

Resouces :

1. Haliza Abdul Rahman, UPM, 2019. Alam Sekitar Sebagai Terapi Alternatif Kesihatan Mental. Jurnal Psikologi dan Kesihatan Sosial (JPsiKS). Unit Penyelidikan Psikologi dan Kesihatan Sosial.
2. Daljit Singh Karam, UPM, 2017. Terapi Hutan untuk Pesakit Psikiatrik. Berita Harian1 Ogos 2017.

Date of Input: 21/12/2020 | Updated: 24/08/2021 | anis_akmil