For those in the know, there’s something quietly magical about feeding the birds…
Putting out some seed or mealworms, then just sitting back, watching and waiting as they zip in and out of your garden, chattering away to each other. (I like to think they’re telling all their friends the café is now open for business!)
It feels like such a small thing, but it can bring so much joy. When we show modest, but meaningful acts of kindness towards nature, it can give our wellbeing a surprising lift.
If we do something caring – whether it’s topping up a bird feeder or rescuing a bee from the pavement – our brains release a cocktail of feel‑good chemicals. Oxytocin, often called the “bonding hormone,” doesn’t just show up in human relationships; it appears when we connect with the natural world too. That fuzzy warm glow you feel after helping a little critter out? That’s your brain giving you a high‑five. When we also slow down and stop to notice that joy that we’re feeling – well, that just cranks the wellbeing dial up a whole lot more!
But, it’s so much more than just the ‘feel-good-factor’. Recent work exploring the power of nature for our wellbeing, has stumbled upon a wonderful concept called ‘nature connectedness’. The more emotionally connected we feel to nature and the more we feel part of the natural world around us, the more our wellbeing is supported. It turns out that showing compassion for plants and animals is one great way we can build our levels of nature connectedness.
Maybe it’s building a hedgehog habitat. Or fixing a bug hotel to your fence. Planting a mini wildflower meadow in your garden or a window box. Cleaning up litter from a park or beach. Giving sugar-water to an exhausted bee. It all reminds us that we’re part of something bigger.
Here’s the lovely bit: there’s a feedback loop. When we take care of nature, nature takes care of us… which then means we’re likely to do more to protect nature….
So go on: scatter some seeds, plant a tree or hang out some fat balls. Your brain will thank you for the kindness.