Stress. Anxiety. Panic. Sound familiar? Well, don’t worry because it’s not just you. Everyone is feeling it. You are not alone. That being said, the feelings of stress, anxiety and even the occasional rush of panic is no less real just because others are experiencing that same melange of emotions. We are all feeling tired, worn out and frazzled.

This became very clear to me during a day of professional development training that I recently participated in for school. I was fortunate enough to be able to sign up for a session that was hosted by the Linde Center at Tanglewood and the main theme of the event was engaging students in their learning by using art. The setting was exquisite, the weather was absolutely perfect, and as I sat in the upper deck of an auditorium with a “stage” backdrop made of windows, I couldn’t help but stare outside at a small flock of Canada geese that was grazing in the grass under the limbs of a massive red oak. And I was not the only one.

There were a lot of “thousand yard stares” in the audience that day. We were all comfortable, well fed, warm and safe, but we were all a bit anxious and worn out. We were all listening to the presenters, but we were also watching those geese. It was easy to lose ourselves in the little play that was being performed on the “big screen” behind the human speakers. Sometimes the geese were all plunked down in the grass and relaxing. Other times they all got to their feet and slowly moved in one direction or another as they casually grazed on the grass. Every once in a while it appeared that tempers flared and there was a bit of drama as one goose chased after another. What could that conflict have possibly been about? Well, it didn’t matter. It was simply the most gloriously relaxing distraction.

A couple days later I was headed into a grocery store and I happened to make eye contact with an elderly woman who was headed for her car. We smiled at each other and then she commented on the interesting noise that was being made by a flock of birds that were perched in some nearby trees. It was a wonderfully horrendous cacophony of whistles, squeaks and chirps and there was no way that anyone could ignore this unusual sound. When I mentioned that the birds were European Starlings the expression on this stranger’s face changed from one of friendliness and warmth to that of surprise and unexpected joy. Somehow, knowing the identity of the birds seemed to magnify the happiness that they were spreading.

This morning, when I sat down at my computer to write this column, I knew that I had a general idea for what I wanted to talk about, but I needed a catalyst to get the ball rolling. Like those little chemistry kits that allow you to grow your own crystals, I needed a condensation nucleus around which the crystal lattice could form. I just happened to look at my email inbox and I just happened to see a message from Fred about mergansers. This was just the thing that I was looking for.

I opened the email and read about Fred’s observations of the comings and goings of Common Mergansers on a nearby pond. For the past 20 years these birds have been reliably appearing around Thanksgiving and then staying for a few weeks. Fred correctly deduced that the birds are finally pushed further south when the ponds in the north freeze over. They then return in the spring as the ponds begin to melt. Other ducks were also discussed in the email, but it was clear that the mergansers were the stars of the show.

Basically, these three very different interactions with people and birds suggest that Nature has something to offer us all. The stress, anxiety and exhaustion that we are all feeling need to be addressed and Nature herself is offering to be our therapist. I spoke with Nature just the other day and this is what she suggested that we all do. Whenever possible, take a moment to bring peace, calm and quiet into your mind. Stare out the window at a flock of birds. Better yet, go outside and find something interesting to look at. There is great beauty in a blanket of fallen leaves on the ground. There is a seductive tranquility to be found by simply sitting next to a stream, pond, lake or river. Listen to the sounds. Gaze at the landscape. Let your mind wander and wonder about the trees, or the grasses, or the birds. Do this and you will find the solace that Nature has to offer. She is waiting there for you. All you have to do is go and find her.

Bill Danielson has been a professional writer and nature photographer for 27 years. He has worked for the National Park Service, the U.S. Forest Service, the Nature Conservancy and the Massachusetts State Parks and he currently teaches high school biology and physics. For more in formation visit his website at www.speakingofnature.com, or go to Speaking of Nature on Facebook.