Rooting and Rising- How the Countryside Helped Me Grow.
There’s something about wide open skies and the sound of sheep in the distance that just makes everything feel a little less… frantic.
For years, I thought I needed more, more noise, more hustle, more go-go-go. But a few years ago, something shifted. Or maybe it cracked wide open. Either way, I suddenly felt an overwhelming urge to get quiet. To find space. To breathe, And that’s when the great outdoors called. Not with fanfare or fireworks, just with a gentle, whispery “Come sit under this tree and chill out.” It started small, a weekly walk around the local country park, to longer walks around in the countryside, to me packing up my life and moving to a small market town surronded with hills, ancient woodlands and breathtaking views.
Space to Think (and Feel)
Living closer to nature gave me something I didn’t know I was missing: mental space.No constant notifications, no traffic sounds just time.Time to notice how I’m really doing, It turns out, growth doesn’t always look like action. Sometimes it looks like rest.
Nature: The Great Regulator (Even for Hormones)
Peri/Menopause is like living with a moody roommate who eats all your snacks and hides your keys. But when I’m outside — walking through fields and woodlands, or just watching the clouds move, that storm inside seems to settle. Even science agrees, time in nature helps regulate stress hormones, lower inflammation, and boost mood. I love nothing but putting on my walking boots finding a part of the great outdoors I have not seen before and setting off on a hike. It’s not a cure, but it’s definitely part of my midlife toolkit.
I Found Myself in the Dirt
In the city, I used to feel like I was always falling behind. But in the countryside, there’s no race.Everything grows in its own time. Watching the seasons shift — the wildflowers bloom, the leaves fall, the bulbs rise again — reminded me that I’m still growing too. Not in a shiny, glamorous way. But in a rooted, resilient, “I know who I am” kind of way.
It’s Not Always Idyllic
Let’s be clear, I’m not some linen-wrapped goddess sipping nettle tea under a willow tree every morning.Sometimes it rains sideways. Sometimes the knees protest. But even then especially then I wouldn’t trade it. Because out here, I’ve found something I didn’t know I needed: stillness with purpose.
So if you’re feeling stuck, noisy inside, or just burned out on modern life, maybe it’s time to walk through some tall grass. Touch a tree. Let the wind mess up your hair.
The answers might not be immediate. But trust me the countryside is quietly, gently, always working on you.
And just like the best kind of growth, it happens from the inside out.
