The Summer of the Nature Reset with St. Ives
This summer I had the incredible opportunity to partner with skincare brand St. Ives, who has been bringing the best of nature to skincare for more than 30 years, on the launch of their new mission - #NatureReset. It is a long-term commitment to get young women to spend more time with nature and get a boost of happy from nature’s many benefits. As you can imagine, I literally jumped at the chance to work with them as this is such a passion for me.
St. Ives is not only committed to this mission but also conducted their own research to learn more about the topic from young women themselves. There were some staggering results from the survey, conducted from 2,000 young women ages 18-25, which included:
ï94% of young women surveyed said they feel calmer after spending time in nature
ï76% of young women surveyed said they wished they spent more time outdoors
ïMore than half of young women surveyed said that they felt the positive effects of being in nature after just 15 minutes or less
ï60% of young women surveyed said they spend less than 30 minutes a day outside
ï61% of young women surveyed said that even by just having plants in their daily environment helps them feel more calm
ïWhen asked about the biggest barriers to spending more time in nature, more than half of the respondents (54%) said they don’t have enough time
I can see so clearly how these findings tell a story of the importance of nature to the mind and the body, how young women are feeling right now, and how spending time in nature can undoubtedly help (talk about getting a boost of happy!).
As a part of the #NatureReset launch St. Ives also partnered with National Geographic to give people across the U.S. to win the ultimate trip in nature to Yellowstone National Park. The contest encouraged people to get outside and spend time in nature and while there – take a picture. Sharing the photo on Instagram with a caption of the nature experience and tagging #NatureReset #StIvesNatGeoContest hashtags and the @StIvesSkin and @natgeoadventure handles entered you to win. I personally can’t wait to follow the journey to see the beauty of the park in winter and know how much I loved seeing all the #NatureReset pictures this summer.
Not only do we need to take time to renew and refresh our bodies but we also need to take time to revitalize our brains, which is equally, if not more, important. I believe we are enduring brain fatigue, which is like having too many tabs open on our computer at once that makes everything else run slowly as a result. Time spent in nature to just be present and hear the sounds of the wind, the birds, the rustling of the trees is so important. It is amazing to actually feel the sunlight on your skin and the cool breeze on your face to give you the sense of changing seasons (depending on where you live, of course ). I believe that when we give ourselves permission to be outside and truly take the time to shut off and explore, that we open our minds and become more energized, more creative, have heightened cognition, and more able to focus.
So lean into finding your #NatureReset and give yourself permission to spend time with nature every day, even if for only 15 minutes. Whether it is a walk by yourself, with a friend, with a co-worker, family member or pet, just get out there! Your body and your brain will thank you for it, over and over again.
