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Fall and early winter have always been my favorite time of year. There’s something comforting about the smell of drying pine needles, the sound of people shuffling through leaves on the sidewalk, and, as someone who grew up in a small college town with a large football program, the sounds and sensations of a home game on a warm Saturday afternoon. But this time of year is also incredibly busy – school is back in full swing and the country is on a fast track into the holidays. It’s easy to forget to pause; to keep in step with what really matters and take care of our personal wellbeing. The crisp cool air and changing colors that come with the arrival of autumn, and the coziness of the first snowfall of winter are welcome invitations to step outside. We look forward to the holidays as a chance to celebrate time with friends and family, but it can also be stressful. Moments in nature not only provide a break from the hustle and bustle of holiday preparations but also offer a chance to connect with the beauty and tranquility of the season. In Salt Lake, winter also brings inversions. At Nature & Human Health-Utah, we are often asked how people can get outside and benefit from nature on bad air days. One idea is to create a backyard or deck refuge with an air purifier for your own enjoyment, or for those with conditions that make it impossible to be outside at all, bring the outside in with plants and diffusers to help create a revitalizing oasis indoors. However you find nature in your life, make time for it this season. From all of us at Nature & Human Health-Utah, we wish you all of the joys of the holidays and the happiest of new years. See you in 2025! -NHH-UT Leadership (Dart Schmalz, Tim Brown, Joanna Bettmann Schaefer, Myra Gerst)
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