Mother Nature's calming influence

[mnhtnbb]

A week ago today I spent most of the day in the ER. After a weekend of mild chest pain--mostly pressure rather than pain--and some other symptoms like shortness of breath, nausea, mild dizziness, fatigue, I decided to have it checked out. I've had panic attacks and it wasn't that. I've had indigestion relieved by antacids and it seemed more than that.

I called my son and had him take me to the ER. It didn't feel acute enough to be worth an ambulance ride. And it wasn't. I was discharged after six hours and advised to see my primary doc within three days.

Before I went to see her on Friday, I came to the conclusion that what I was experiencing was a low level of anxiety that finally reached a threshold that would cause physical symptoms. Since the Dobbs decision, the 4th of July parade mass shooting ( and others since), the Jan 6 hearings, on top of climate change, the war in Ukraine, and the never ending presence of Covid, I have been overwhelmed with despair for the future. Together with my primary doc, I resolved to make some changes to focus on the present moment with what I can control in order to improve my health and, hopefully, reduce my anxiety.

One of the things I do in that regard is to watch for beauty in nature. I'm an early bird, so I keep my eye out for color in the sunrise. This morning I took my coffee out on the front porch and watched this develop

A couple of nights ago, I was lucky to watch a beautiful sunset



It is calming to witness the beauty of Mother Nature.

[Phoenix61]

1. I love a beautiful sunrise but have a hard time getting up that early. mt

[mnhtnbb]

3. I've always been an early riser

When I was little, my parents made me go to bed before it was dark in the summer. So, I'd be awake by 5 am. Fortunately, I liked to read and my parents would take me to the library.

Never outgrew the habit of waking early--even as a teen-- and even though I'm retired and living alone, I still am usually awake before dawn.

[Trueblue Texan]

2. Thank you for sharing these...

I've had the good fortune to be able to sleep in lately--sleep hasn't come easy in the past but I was always grateful that mornings were my own in those wee hours. Now you've given me a good reason to return to my early riser habits out of joy for the morning instead of insomnia. These photos are glorious. Thank you!

[mnhtnbb]

4. An afternoon nap sometimes works wonders

for me when I'm awake way too early in the morning.

[2naSalit]

5. Nature is what sustains me...

The sky keeps me entertained when away from the woods or the river. I share your growing anxiety and talk about it with my therapist. We're not alone.

I wake long before daylight most mornings so I watch the days begin with star gazing. Some days I go back to bed by 6:30 and get up again around 9. By then I have to reset the window shades and drapes as the day starts to warm. It's been in the 90s in Montana since the flood and before that. Today we're expecting temps in the 100s. I have to water my plants several times during the day, most are stunted from the extreme heat. Only the herbs on the shaded porch are doing well.

Mother Nature, she's pissed at us, even those of us who respect her.

[mnhtnbb]

7. We've had constant 90+ degrees

all summer. Started in May this year. In June we had very little rain and I was constantly out watering my potted plants as well as young landscaping every couple of days. In the last couple of weeks we've been getting more thunderstorms, which has helped a lot.

I go out at night to star gaze before going to bed. But recently, it's been overcast at night. So I just listen to the night sounds, mostly frogs and owls. It helps me relax before going to bed.

[Farmer-Rick]

6. Your pictures are beautiful.

Can I ask how you did that? I want to post pictures of my farm and new baby lambs but I don't know how to do it on DU.

[mnhtnbb]

8. I use postimages.org

You don't have to join. Upload your photo and then copy/paste the Direct Link from clicking on the share icon.

[Farmer-Rick]

11. Ok, that sounds easy enough

Thanks for the info, and as we say around my neck of the woods, appreciate you.

[TheRickles]

9. Beautiful photos, and they remind me of something I've always wondered about:

Is it possible to tell whether any given photo is a sunrise or a sunset, just by looking at it without any other information?

I know that sunsets typically look reddish-orange, but I've seen that with sunrises as well. Both situations seem pretty symmetrical with respect to the angles of light and atmosphere and etc. Any ideas out there? Thanks.

[mnhtnbb]

10. I have sunrise and sunset photos

with red in them. Unless I recognize the landscape and know which direction the shot is being taken, I don't think I could tell whether a photo with red/ orange is sunrise or sunset. Same with pink/ purple.

[SheltieLover]

12. So glad you got checked out, are ok, & making changes!

Ty for sharing your experience, wisdom, & beautiful pix!

Pls do not let pootin's puppets destroy your health!

[c-rational]

13. Thank you mnhnbb. I do appreciate your story and love your photos. I have learned that the

only time we can be happy is in the present moment, and focusing on nature is a lovely way to be present.

[Fla Dem]

14. Glad you symptoms were not for anything critical. I agree, stress and anxiety can be debilitating.

I've never had any real physical reactions like you did, but there are just days you just feel overwhelmed and can't seem to get out of your own way.

Glad you have family close by you can depend on.

You're also so fortunate to have Mother Nature right there to start your day off with a big beautiful hug. What a way to start your day.

Take care.

[calimary]

15. No mere human can match this level of artwork.

Kinda humbling, gotta say.

[mnhtnbb]

20. Indeed.

[panfluteman]

16. Mother Nature Is a Calming Influence In More Ways Than You May Realize.

Sure, it's great to gaze on beautiful, grand natural vistas, and the beautiful photos you have presented here sure capture that. That's why the ancient Greek healing sanctuaries, or Asklepions, were all located in places of awesome natural beauty. In fact, the Arabic word for medicine, Tibb, means "Nature". In Greek, the word Physis also means nature, or the physical world, and is where we get the word physician from. Physis also refers to the physical constitution of man, or the human body, and restoring wholeness and balance to it is what the 17th century English herbalist Nicholas Culpeper called Physick, or the Art of Medicine.

Medicinal herbs can also be calming as well. In fact, there is a special class of herbs that are restoratives that help to rebuild and regenerate the nervous system, called Nervine herbs. Although there may be pharmaceutical drugs for nervous disorders like anxiety and panic attacks, it's important to remember that none of those pharmaceutical drugs has any vital nutrients that can help regenerate and rebuild the nerves - herbs are rich in vital nutrients that pharmaceutical drugs lack. In fact, many pharmaceutical drugs actually deplete vital nutrients, with Metformin depleting vitamin B12 and Statin drugs depleting Coenzyme Q10, for example. Just think - Statin drugs are prescribed to lower cholesterol, supposedly to reduce the risk of heart attacks, yet they deplete a vital nutrient - CoQ10 - that is essential for healthy heart function!

[highplainsdem]

17. Love the photos, and how you're coping with anxiety! The beauty of nature

is calming. I was fortunate to spend a lot of time in the country as a child, especially on my grandfather's farm, which had a lot of terrain not suitable for farming -- streams with wooded banks, wooded hills, even a rocky cliff over a wide bend in a spring-fed creek -- which made for a perfect 200-acre playground for his many grandkids. I was usually out of the farmhouse as early as possible in the morning, headed for one of the areas that seemed perfectly wild, with the only sound most of the time from birds singing, or fish jumping, or leaves rustlng. I live in a city now, but have huge windows giving a great view of both the sky and a wooded hillside and the taller trees in a nearby park, and if I sit in a favorite recliner I have a great view of sunrises through a 10-foot glass door. I also have a lot of plants indoors, including vines climbing trellises to the ceiling, vines which I've had to cut a few hundred feet off in recent years, and they need another trimming soon. House plants can be very calming and helpful, especially in winter.

But for dealing with anxiety, I'd also recommend meditation. There are so many different methods you should be able to find one that suits you perfectly. That lovely floating feeling that comes with meditation is especially stress-reducing.

There's also a very quick technique originally developed to help children dealing with PTSD after natural disasters, which can also help adults, and often within seconds. I've recommended it here before. The butterfly hug. See this link:

https://www.debbieaugenthaler.com/butterfly-hug-simple-technique-helping-anxiety/

What makes it work is the alternate tapping, and it doesn't have to be on the shoulders. You can tap your legs under a table or desk, for instance. I once had to spend way too many hours in a waiting room while a relative underwent a long heart procedure, and at times I'd set my purse on my knees and tap my legs behind the purse.

This can also help with insomnia.

[mnhtnbb]

19. I have started meditating every morning.

When I bought/built the house where I live now, I moved from a downtown high rise apartment (on the 17th floor) with 10 ft ceilings and floor to ceiling windows on both sides of my corner apartment. It made for fabulous panoramic sunrise views, as my apartment faced east.

Here I have landscaped my small courtyard and I try to spend some time out there every day, even with our 90+ degree weather. I have bird feeders--including two hummingbird feeders--and I enjoy watching the birds that come into my courtyard. There is also a view of the retention pond behind my house, and this morning there was a snowy egret out there, and then I watched three ducks come in for a landing on the water. We have Canadian geese which come and spend time there, too.

At night I go outside and look for meteorites--when there are no clouds--and listen to the night sounds of frogs and owls.

[BlackSkimmer]

18. Wonderful.

Thanks for posting.

[Thtwudbeme]

21. Gorgeous

Nt