Getting Back to Nature: 5 Ways Outdoor Activities Benefit Mental Health
You have probably heard of some of the things that you can do to support your mental health. Getting enough sleep, minimizing stress, and having a healthy positive attitude towards life are some of the many things therapists usually suggest.
Have you ever considered that getting outdoors can have a positive impact on your mental health?
It’s true! Getting outside and being active is great for your mind, body, and your soul. And the best part is that you don’t have to be an extreme outdoor adventurer to reap the mental health benefits that nature can provide, it really does not take very much effort at all!
Here are five ways outdoor activities benefit mental health.
Connecting Exercise and the Outdoors
It is well documented that physical activity is a good thing when it comes to mental health. Several hormones are released during exercise, including endorphins. These hormones aid in the euphoric feeling you may experience when working out and they are also part of the reason why we feel better afterward. These effects are certainly experienced during indoor workout. However, when you are doing physical activity outdoors (gardening, walking, etc.), you get the extra benefit of being outside and enjoying nature.
Let’s say you make it a goal to hike a certain trail. To get there, you must exert yourself, which is the workout part. When you get to the end of the hike, you can reward yourself knowing you gained the benefit of exercise and being outdoors.
Setting and Accomplishing Goals
Speaking of making it to the end of that long hike, the outdoors is a great opportunity to practice setting and achieving goals. Goal-setting is an important life skill. However, it can be difficult to feel as if you are accomplishing anything if you are anxious or depressed. Participating in outdoor activities can help to change that.
Imagine that you are paddling in a kayak at the lake. There is an island in the center of the lake and you decide to go there. Just making and achieving a simple goal like that can be incredibly beneficial to your mental health and can even help change your perspective. If you can paddle to an island, what else can you accomplish?
This mindset can be applied to anything! Add five minutes to your daily walk, ride your bike to the local park instead of driving there, move an indoor workout outdoors once a week. The options are limitless when you think about it, there are so many ways to can connect exercise with the outdoors!
Feeling a Deeper Connection with Your Surroundings
Oftentimes people struggle with mental health issues because they feel disconnected from the world around them. Although we live in an incredibly interconnected society, it seems as if we are more disconnected from our environment. How can you counteract this?
One answer to this problem is the practice of Shinrin Yoku, also known as “forest bathing.” This is a Japanese mindfulness technique in which you experience the natural world by accessing all of your five senses. Researchers have found that the practice of Shinrin Yoku, or “forest bathing”, has a number of benefits including a boost in immune system function, reduced blood pressure, improvements in mood, and increased levels of energy. It’s also relaxing and a great way to spend some time outside.
The idea of Shinrin Yoku is to slow down, pause, and take it all in—hearing the wind blowing by your ears, smelling the scent of pine trees in the air, and feeling the grass or forest floor beneath your feet. The focus of this practice is to become more connected to your surroundings, as if you’re immersed—or bathing—in the sensations.
Check out this short video “Introduction to Shinrin Yoku”
Experiencing Something Bigger Than Yourself
In the outdoors, it is common to feel that you are just one small part of a much bigger picture. When you are at the beach, you can stare out and see miles and miles of ocean in the distance. The effect is humbling, especially at sunrise or sunset!
It helps put things into perspective. That even though you do have problems and struggles, there is a much bigger world out there. And that world is beautiful, wonderful, and has so much more to offer than depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues.
Sharing the Outdoors with Someone
The best thing about pursuing outdoor activities is doing them with someone else! Sharing an adventure helps to build a relationship and connection.
For instance, imagine you and a partner go hiking together on a trail. Along the way you see an incredible waterfall and are surprised by a deer that crosses your path. These experiences will last much longer and be more meaningful than if you were playing a video game together at home. They help you lead a richer life.
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Getting outdoors is a great way to both improve and maintain your mental health. There are a ton of ways to incorporate the outdoors with our every day lives, I have been known to have an outdoor session from time to time (not in this summer heat though)! If you are interested in this or any of the other counseling services offered, please contact me here.