I’d had similar discussions in the past, so I was sceptical. Depressed? Exercise for endorphins! Anxious? Download a meditation app! If my GP was about to suggest I take up birdwatching to cure my depression, I was going to roll my eyes so bloody hard.

My GP explained that studies had found positive links between nature and mental health, citing research in Denmark that showed 10 weeks of gardening was as effective as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). The surgery was in consultation with the RSPB to pilot nature prescriptions, and I was offered a leaflet with some tasks to try. I was deeply cynical that looking at trees would make me feel better, but I figured I had nothing to lose.

I’m not someone you would have described as ‘outdoorsy’. I closed my bedroom windows because I found the sound of birdsong annoying. I felt idiotic as I looked at a list of activities, which included reading poetry and appreciating the clouds.

I committed to spending more time outdoors, and instead of devoting lunchtime to doomscrolling, I went outside and enjoyed some screen-free time. I carved out chunks of weekend time to be in nature and fully take in my surroundings rather than watching the world go by from a bus window.

“A GP gave me a nature prescription – it saved my life”