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Workshop: Fostering teacher well-being through nature connectedness

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Research on the effects of nature on human well-being and health has consistently shown that especially conscious immersion into a natural environment while using all your senses, can reduce stress and anxiety, lower the heart rate and blood pressure, and lift mood and general wellbeing.

Do you sometimes feel you need to stay optimistic for your students, but you are actually becoming increasingly cynical, frustrated, and weary? Does the stream of information about the climate crisis, war, the energy crisis, economic crises, pandemics, and the global ecological decline, put a constant weight on your shoulders? Are you looking for ways to help your students who might feel the same?

In this workshop, we'll explore different scientifically established pathways to conscious nature connectedness that will help you get the best out of being in nature and aid your well-being. After spending this guided break of three hours in the outdoors, you will feel refreshed, energised, and strengthened, ready again to cope with everything you need to know and teach your students. In addition, we will spend time talking about how this experience can become useful in a classroom setting and in your educational programmes.

Dr. Carijn Beumer will guide you into a local natural area and show you practical and easy ways to connect to nature on a level that will help you cope with information-based anxiety and stress.

Put away your laptop, your phone, your lecture to prepare, your emails, and your confined office space for a few hours and recharge your mood, your energy and your optimism. Let’s disconnect to reconnect! Let’s go outside into nature!

This activity may count towards your Continuing Professional Development (CPD) if relevant to your situation.
 

Intended learning outcomes

  • In participating in this CPD activity, you will be able to:
  • know that your stress reaction to the situation in the world is normal and a healthy sign of empathy,
  • apply the exercises of the workshop in your own life to boost your mood, energy level, and wellbeing amidst a world in crisis,
  • apply knowledge about five scientifically established pathways to conscious nature connectedness,
  • experience that only three hours of time spent in nature can help you boost your wellbeing and health for about two weeks,
  • be more helpful to your students who might feel similar information-based anxiety and distress.
     

About the trainer

Dr. Carijn Beumer has been teaching Sustainable Development since 2007 and Global Health and Planetary Health at Maastricht University since 2014. In her studies, research and teaching, a constant factor has been the human-nature relationship. Recognising the importance of Planetary Health as a foundational basis for Human Health and personal experiences with eco-anxiety and information-based distress inspired Carijn to take her knowledge and skills to the next level: coaching people to find their own pathways to nature connectedness. Her strong belief is that a better conscious connection between people and our planet Earth will help both our human health and wellbeing and the health and healing of our planet itself.

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