I open my eyes to a thousand shades of green, birds singing, children’s laughter, a cool breeze on my skin and a feeling of deep relaxation and tranquility is upon me. Am I still on my summer vacation I hear you ask? No I’m on my lunch break, spending time in nature…

At Planet Ark we are lucky to have our office situated close to Sydney’s Royal Botanic Gardens. This jewel of green is often forgotten as the workdays run into each other. I have set the intention for 2016 to enjoy this space during the week as often as I can, ticking off a fair few New Year’s resolution boxes:

• Spending time in nature

• Get more incidental exercise

• Practising mindfulness

It’s easy during these warm summer days to walk to the gardens, sit with my back to a tree trunk, feeling it’s comforting strength, squishing my toes into the grass and closing my eyes for a 15 minute meditation. As i'm a relative beginner at meditation I have my earphones in and use a guided app on my phone., wearing sunglasses whilst closing my eyes so I feel less self-conscious of passers by.

Literally the feeling of breathing in cleaner, greener air and paying attention to it feels very beneficial and Planet Ark’s research into the benefts of time spent in nature confirms this. If meditation is not your thing there are plenty of people walking, exercising, picnicking or having a snooze in the grass. All great activities to be doing amongst the trees, flowers, ponds and the stunning harbour views.

Pockets of green tranquility can usually be found within a short distance from most worplaces just waiting to be explored and enjoyed. It’s a free, easy and instantly 'feel good-able' habit to get into in 2016 so why not give it a go?