Mental Health Benefits of Being Outdoors
If I’m ever feeling overwhelmed, with a thousand thoughts and fears bouncing around my head, I tend to put on my walking boots and head to the mountains.
There is just something about being surrounded by nature that clears my head, enables me to think more clearly and inspires an inner sense of gratitude for the world we live in.
Everyone has their own happy place and the mountains are mine.
So, what are the mental health benefits of being outdoors?
Nature and Mental Health
Spending time in nature can massively improve your mental health.
From sitting in your local park to going for a run, from an afternoon gardening to taking on a mountain hike - spending time in green spaces has been scientifically proven to positively affect your mental state.
Research has shown that spending time in nature can improve your mood, by reducing feelings of stress and anger.
Plus it can have positive effects on increasing your confidence, whilst also helping you to feel more relaxed.
Yay for green spaces!
“Let’s wander where the wifi is weak”
Nature and Mental Health - The Research
A study conducted by Mind, the mental health charity, compared the effects of walking in a country park against walking through a shopping centre. They found that those who had walked through open green spaces reported a massive 71% decrease in levels of depression, compared to a 45% decrease from those who walked through a shopping centre.
A large scale study conducted by a university in Denmark found that childhood exposure to green spaces reduces the risk of developing a range of psychiatric disorders during adolescence and adulthood.
And finally, a study looking into the relationship between green spaces and depression in middle age women found a 13% reduction in risk of depression in those living in close proximity to green space compared to those who didn’t.
To find out more about how nature can help to improve mental health, or for more information regarding mental health issues, head over to Mind’s website.
Walking for Mental Health
A good walk can do wonders for your mind, health and wellbeing.
We all know I love a good hike - it clears my head, improves my focus and reduces my anxiety massively.
Exercising outdoors is known to reduce anxiety, stress and depression, whilst having a positive effect on your mood.
Regular exercise can help reduce depression and anxiety by helping take your mind off your worries, helps to boost your confidence, increases social activity and releases the good hormones - endorphins.
Endorphins are naturally occurring chemicals that reduce the perception of pain and trigger a positive feeling in the body.
“Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people just don’t shoot their husbands, they just don’t.”
According to MIND, increasing your levels of activity from sedentary to exercising three times a week can reduce the risk of depression by almost 20%! Plus a study conducted by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health found that walking for an hour a day can reduce the risk of anxiety by 26%.
Nature Mindfulness
I’m sure you have all heard of mindfulness. But what does it really mean? Mindfulness is the ability to be fully present in the moment and encourages us to reconnect with our senses
It’s about moving away from distractions and the hustle and bustle of everyday life - vibrating phones, constant notifications and loud TV screens.
It’s about being fully present and engaged in the moment. It’s about being mindful of our thoughts and feelings without letting them control us.
I find it helps to practise mindfulness in nature - whether this is out in the countryside or whilst sitting in my garden.
It’s refreshing to take a moment to listen to the birdsong, absorb the fragrance of flowers and become more aware of my body and its movements - away from the complexities and worries of modern life.
The difference between mindfulness and meditation is the fact that mindfulness is a way of living, rather than a temporary state of mind.
So, what does research tell us about mindfulness and mental health?
Mindfulness has been found to decrease stress and anxiety, whilst increasing levels of positivity and focus.
A study conducted on Google and Roche employees found that practising mindfulness once a day, over an eight-week period, resulted in a significant improvement in work-related stress and well being.
Whilst another study found mindfulness training to significantly help improve focus in university students.
If you’d like a little guidance on mindfulness, check out Headspace - an app full of guided meditations, articles and videos to help you become a little more mindful.
So just to recap. Spending times in the great outdoors can benefit your mental health in many ways.
It can;
Improve your mood and increase positivity
Reduce levels of stress and anger
Increase levels of confidence and self-esteem
Make you become more aware of your surroundings, thoughts and feelings
Help to alleviate symptoms of depression, anxiety and SAD
Helps you to feel more relaxed and calm
I would love to hear how spending time outdoors has improved your mental health and boosted your mood. Just leave a comment in the space below :)
Kathryn Elizabeth x
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