Our busy exhausting modern lifestyles can often leave us cut off from nature, where we are stuck indoors or in our cars for much of the time.

There is lots of evidence that we benefit enormously from being in contact with our natural surroundings. For example, hospital patients with a view of nature suffer less pain and stress, and recover more quickly.

We often think that we can only fully appreciate the beauty of nature by either going to far off places, or watching amazing documentaries of exotic animals in foreign lands. Nothing could be further from the truth. There is astonishing beauty all around us if we slow down and really look and listen.

We can be given the impression that we have to patiently save up and wait for an opportunity to escape from the rat race.

The good news is that you really don't have to go that far at all to be deeply touched by the wonders that surround us. Just taking a 10-minute walk during your lunch break and really paying full attention to what you can see and hear can be a revelation.

Even in a busy urban location, there will often be trees, birds or even a weed that when you look closely will amaze you with how beautiful it is.

At the weekend you don’t have to spend several hours travelling to somewhere supposedly spectacular.

Instead why not take advantage of the miles of public footpaths and lots of beautiful nature reserves and National Trust places just a short ride away from where you live.

Go on. Treat yourself. You won’t be disappointed.