{"id":27737,"date":"2020-09-22T16:01:05","date_gmt":"2020-09-22T15:01:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsblogsnew.ihbc.org.uk\/?p=27737"},"modified":"2020-09-22T14:58:58","modified_gmt":"2020-09-22T13:58:58","slug":"hes-is-history-and-heritage-good-for-your-health","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsblogs.ihbc.org.uk\/?p=27737","title":{"rendered":"HES: Is history and heritage good for your health?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"ScotlandHistoric Environment Scotland\u2019s (HES) Bryony Donnelly has \u2018blogsplored\u2019 how to boost mental and physical fitness \u2013 and navigate between the coronavirus pandemic, enforced social distancing and a lockdown – by spending time with Scotland\u2019s history.<\/h3>\n

image: for illustration purposes only – Fiona Newton<\/em><\/h6>\n

<\/p>\n

….give us a clearer idea of how heritage can improve wellbeing.<\/span><\/em><\/h2>\n

Accessing heritage digitally is one potential way to increase inclusion…<\/span><\/em><\/h2>\n

HES writes:<\/p>\n

Before my world was reduced to a single daily walk, within five miles of my tenement flat, I would admire other cities\u2019 architecture and the sprawling natural landscapes of places far away.<\/p>\n

Like many of you who responded to\u00a0our survey on wellbeing and heritage<\/a>, I\u2019ve always appreciated history. Interesting and inspiring stories of past people, places and events. Beautiful and awe-inspiring settings (which Scotland is not short of!) and that feeling of being connected to something, a bigger story and lives lived long before mine.<\/p>\n

But it was only when Scotland went into lockdown that I really began to appreciate the benefits of the heritage much closer to home.<\/p>\n

Heritage in a time of crisis<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The COVID-19 pandemic has directly impacted all of us, physically and emotionally.<\/p>\n

Individuals, households and communities continue to be hit hard and in unequal ways, by the virus, lockdown measures and the ongoing economic impact. It\u2019s impossible to predict the long term ramifications of COVID-19.<\/p>\n

Like many organisations,\u00a0Historic Environment Scotland are looking to the raft of research into health and wellbeing from before and during the pandemic to find some insight into making this incredibly difficult experience more manageable for Scotland\u2019s people.<\/p>\n

Our research into\u00a0the links between heritage and wellbeing<\/a>\u00a0has revealed that Scotland\u2019s history could play a role for some of us in getting through these trying times.<\/p>\n

What you told us<\/h3>\n

Last year, we asked almost 800 people, including Historic Scotland members and others engaged with the historic environment, to respond to a survey and give us a clearer idea of how heritage can improve wellbeing.<\/p>\n

86% of respondents reported a health or wellbeing benefit from engagement with the historic environment:<\/p>\n