A oes heddwch: Bring on the peace of winter

Stephen Price

For those of us of a certain age, there can be no greater joy than the garden – pottering about, planting, sharing space with nature and its bountiful free-at-source benefits.

Feeding the birds and hearing their song is a particular joy of mine, as is taking a book outside, dining al fresco (i.e. eating my tea on my lap) or just watching the day go by with ants, woodlice, moths and the occasional feathered friend for company.

As I’ve aged, however, I’ve found my joy of the garden, its solace, its tranquility, its feeling of sanctuary, becoming less and less of a peaceful retreat, and more of a place to retreat from – and that’s certainly so in the summer.

I’m either becoming more irritable, or the world is getting more irritating.

And I’m firmly of the belief that it’s the latter.

A oes heddwch?

A oes heddwch – is there peace?

A beautiful Welsh phrase that comes to mind each and every summer now.

Long gone are the days of a manual pruner, a good old yard brush or Joni Mitchell’s ‘hissing of summer lawns’ – the garden has become not so much a place of mindfulness, calm and tranquility as a place to show off the latest in industrial power tools.

The sun brings with it a rush to cut back, to leaf and grass blow, to power wash, to hedge trim, to build that extension.

Correct me if I’m wrong here too, but no one seemed to have such industrial power tools for their gardens in days gone by. Walking in my (gentile) local neighbourhood can sometimes sound like I’m walking through a sawmill – but no, it’s just a hedge trimmer, or two, or three.

Naturally, we’re all as guilty as each other in this – I’m sure my chosen time to get the mower out is someone else’s ‘me time’ with a glass of wine. Although, where I can, I try to make sure my activities are considerate. Snippers, headphones, you name it.

Working from home is no help either.

Where once the sights and sounds of the garden were a gentle escape to come home to, now our days overlap with professional gardeners, those fortunate enough not to have to work, the builders and the roofers. The joys!

So, I might be alone in my desire to live like the Amish, and there’s the inevitable leaf blower fest to come in the autumn (heaven forbid we have leaves on our gardens) but I am counting down the days until the cold embrace of winter forces the power tools, and life’s inconsiderate tools back indoors.

And if that doesn’t work, I’m at least edging closer to eternal peace.

Although knowing my luck, I’ll end up spending eternity in damnation with an industrial leaf blower rammed in my ears (or worse places).

Where were we…

Ruth Thomas writes for Natural Resources Wales: “You may be aware that noise is an important public health issue – the negative impacts on human health and well-being are well-documented. But have you ever considered that sound can be good for our health too?

“There is no physical difference between noise and sound, they are both vibrations. The difference is how we react to sounds. Noise is simply defined as unwanted sound.”

“Listening to nature’s sounds (or “nature’s symphony”, as I like to call it) offers significant benefits to our physical and mental health, as well as a greater connection to nature.

“The sound of birdsong, wind rustling through the trees and crashing ocean waves all have the extraordinary power to induce tranquillity and relaxation.

“Studies have shown that listening to natural sounds alters our brain’s connections. It reduces our body’s natural fight-or-flight instinct, helps to alleviate stress, lessens anxiety, and enhances our mental health and well-being.

“Not only can nature’s sounds aid us in falling asleep, they also enhance the quality of our sleep, resulting in us feeling more rejuvenated upon waking.”

 

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Sound advice from Natural Resources Wales

Here are some ways you can use sound to benefit your well-being:

1. Switch off your tech and look up. Tap into the different and unusual sounds you don’t normally hear. Research has found that seeing or hearing birds is associated with an improvement in mental wellbeing that can last up to eight hours.
2. Sit under a tree or on a bench and allow yourself to engage with the sounds of nature while taking deep breaths.
3. Follow a river or stream and listen to the sound of flowing water – it is known to lower anxiety levels and assists us in falling sleep.

You can listen out for nature’s symphony while walking around your local neighbourhood, or you could use Natural Resources Wales’ Days Out website to find your nearest woodland or National Nature Reserve where you’ll be immersed in natural sounds.

Have you ever wondered where the quietest places in Wales are, with the least urban noise? Use NRW’s tranquillity maps to find out.