You know how it is if you work in an office or at your desk at home – a world where your eyes are shrunk to the size of the laptop screen right in front of you.

Other professions feel the strain. Taking exams while on the job, the need for a breather paramount to give yourself a rest.

Journalism is no different, except time in the office (or in my case working from home), is not what the journalist should do too much. Getting out there to meet people is key, but it is an industry just like any other where burnout can also sometimes feel like an unconquerable brick wall.

The stresses of our jobs can sometimes be overwhelming, yet what remains a constant factor in my conversation with you is this – mentality. A mental fog can block my brain sometimes, it clouds what is always a fast-paced world dominated by screens, stress and sometimes some abuse.

I feel pressure. A pressure to deliver The Shire News as something different for local news in Gloucestershire. Plenty of ideas, plenty of news stories and features to work on, it is tough as a sole trader, but what I must make clear is how my mentality remains a top priority.

On World Mental Health Day, my natural medicine for anxiety, burnout and stress involves regular walking. It is why I feel I am blessed to call Gloucestershire home. Walking in the county is without question the most awesome, accessible and natural ways to boost my mental wellbeing.

When I walk in nature, the science is clear – the outdoors boosts feel-good brain chemicals like endorphins and lowering stress hormones like cortisol. When I walk in nature, the physical movement lifts my spirits, improves sleep, and most importantly fresh air.

As a journalist, news which can often feel negative is part of the job. Deep pieces on community issues, council meetings and solving problems – these can often be stressful, intense, but also a burnout factor. Unfortunately positive news does not sell, but that doesn’t mean that local news and features cannot focus on uplifting stories.

When I think of positive topics local news can cover, I think of the outdoors, triumph over adversity, and communities doing good work, for example growing our own food, animals, and traditions which make us laugh.

Earlier this year, Positive News reported on the subject of walking for the benefit of mental health, particularly a woodland walk. Research by Forestry England found that 18 of its woodland trails can trigger a 38% drop in rumination (repetitive negative thinking) and a 31% reduction in anxiety.

It will come as no surprise to you that my favourite woodland walks happen in the Forest of Dean, the shaded trails around New Fancy viewpoint or RSPB Nagshead, two of my go-to destinations. The Sculpture Trail is always popular, but what makes the Forest an immediate circuit breaker from stress is simply the sounds of the trees, the birdsong and throughout different times of the year, colour.

Finding a path forward offers a free mental health sanctuary, the amount of green space in Gloucestershire literally boosts my mood. Another point of reference saw The People and Nature Survey led by Natural England. Almost nine in ten adults in England said that being in nature made them very happy, and four in ten adults said they were spending more time in nature than before the pandemic, with health and wellbeing cited as one of the main reasons for getting outside.

With all this in mind, let me now share my five favourite places which have helped my mental health in Gloucestershire:

  • Symonds Yat Rock – a chance just to pause and reflect whilst admiring one of the grandest views on the border with Herefordshire.
  • Severn Ham, Tewkesbury – my local riverside walk across the floodplain where the sights and sounds of grazing livestock, rushing water at the weir and the chimes of the abbey provide some low-stress therapy.
  • Forest of Dean trails – among the trees, my main favourites are the sculpture trail, Nagshead and past Darkhill Ironworks.
  • Cromwell’s Seat – above Hailes Abbey near Winchcombe, it reminds me of a positive personal feeling, my love of history.
  • St Cyr’s Church – there may be distant sounds of cars, but a quiet stretch along the Stroudwater Canal near Stonehouse with distant views to Coaley Peak and Selsley Common, I love the below photo I took.