Well with Nature - In detail

Nature soothes and heals. Being part of it or even viewing scenes of nature generates a multitude of positive emotions such calmness, joy or creativity. Exposure to nature also has a direct impact on our physical well-being, reducing our stress level, heart rate or blood pressure.

Caring for nature means caring for ourselves. Sustaining and restoring nature ensure that nature can continue providing us this serene environment we all need and are thriving for. Moving towards a pollution-free environment is at our grasp and our efforts will yield many benefits for us all, individually and collectively.

For this year's competition, we invite you to spend time immersed in nature and capture the landscapes and scenes that represent a nurturing place for you. Nature can mean green spaces such as parks or forests as well as blue spaces like rivers or seas. It can also be gardens in urban areas or indoor plants and flowers on your windowsills. Your pictures can also portray how connecting with nature makes you feel and what changes you would like to see.

These four categories are open under the Well with Nature photo competition 2022:

Air. Nature is in continuous evolution. With the seasons, the weather changes and so do the plants and animals. Each season is unique and is worth discovering. Whilst great beauty can be found in a clear sky or a summer breeze, one can also be amazed by a thunderstorm, ice crystals or even a drizzle. Stop your daily routine for a second, take a deep breath and feel the air moving in and around you. Let's marvel about the ways air shapes our environment, about the feeling of the summer rain on our skin and reflect on how seasonal changes affect our well-being.

Water. Water does much more than keeping us hydrated and has many therapeutic benefits. Spending time in and around rivers, lakes and oceans does improve our moods, it helps us reconnect with nature and pause for a moment. From the water in our glass to vast oceans, water moves around us. We invite you to rediscover the blue spaces in your neighbourhood or the dynamic and fascinating waves of the oceans. Show us where creating, restoring or improving access to blue spaces would be good for our well-being.

Land. During the recent pandemic and numerous lockdowns, we have never appreciated more the green spaces around us. We rediscovered parks and gardens by our homes and let ourselves be soothed by the calming effects of these landscapes and the amazing surprises of nature they hide. A green and serene environment is a health resource not to be underestimated when it comes to our physical and mental well-being. Capture your experiences in green spaces by taking us on your daily jogging path, by inviting us to an outdoor picnic feeling the sand under your feet, by impressing us with your gardening skills or by amazing us with yet undiscovered spaces and their marvels.

Sound. Silence is precious and has an amazing effect on us. It can help us find peace, a space to unleash our creativity and relieve stress. Quite often we can find this silence in nature but it is greatly threatened from the noise pollution generated by our day-to-day activities. Take us to your favourite haven being it in far-away meadow or in your garden, or show us where the ambient noise for example from highways or construction sites, may be damaging your well-being.