No doubt our youth must navigate an increasingly complex world, and so it isn’t any surprise to see a growing focus on mental health issues and novel ways to address them. This is a very serious issue, yet I couldn’t help but chuckle when reading an article discussing a Dutch university’s new and original stress-management tool. Wait for it…lying in a grave!

Just when life’s challenges are getting you down, you ditch your electronic devices (for 30 minutes to 3 hours), lie in a grave, contemplate the alternative and put your problems into perspective. One student is reported to have said the following after her experience:

“When you think about death, you automatically also think about life. That is because you realize that life isn’t endless and that we are all going to die at one point. It makes you think about what do I want to do in life, and what do I think is the most important, what does my heart feel, what does my mind want to do.”

Maybe it’s the yogi in me, but this feels like a new form of mediation, as one author put it “an invitation to listen to yourself”. I would love to see this service available to students, and adults, locally. Getting into nature is cathartic in its own right, and the option of literally getting into the ground (with the added comfort of a pillow and mat) to reflect seems like a very peaceful and relaxing experience. There are lots of other ways we can let nature give us a boost. I dare you – when summer returns, channel your inner child and roll down a grassy hill!

Have a great day,

Natalia Angelini