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Original poster

how has getting outside everyday improved your mental health?

40 replies

zeitgeista · 05/01/2021 00:33

hi, i am thinking of making an effort to get out everyday as it was suggested to me in another one of my threads.
i definitely think this would help however i'd like to get some actual opinions on how it helped your mental health personally.
i'm thinking of some days taking my dog out to some fields near me and other days just walking up to the graveyard and sitting and drawing for a few hours (sitting on a bench and being respectful to the graves of course).

thanks

OP posts:

Original poster

zeitgeista · 05/01/2021 01:02

bump

OP posts:

IHateCoronavirus · 05/01/2021 01:06

Look at forest bathing, lots of info about how getting put and into nature can improve mental health, lower heart rate, blood pressure etc.

AcornAutumn · 05/01/2021 01:08

Oh, how lovely to have a dog.

I have mental health issues and I cant really explain how being out in normal times helps, but it just does....

I don't live in a naice place but when I can get to a nice place and hear birds singing etc it helps me.

As the 1975 sing "the only apparatus required for happiness is your pain and fucking going outside". It's not that simple, but I hear that line and feel i must go...and I'm usually better for it.

I like graveyards too. Peaceful, more peaceful than parks etc.

Original poster

zeitgeista · 05/01/2021 01:17

it's good that it's helped u and i'm looking forward to going out, surprisingly.
i'm planning on going to the graveyard tomorrow, whether i actually go or not is another matter but i will definitely try lol

OP posts:

EnglishRose1320 · 05/01/2021 01:21

I find that I feel really boosted just by having some fresh air on my face, sometimes I walk around the most boring parts of my town but just getting out, changing pace, changing the scene and feeling the outside really helps me.

I love it when I have time to walk somewhere new and just stop and take it all in. This evening I walked when it was cold and dark and the stars were just breathtaking and really uplifting.

I love the idea of sitting somewhere, just being still and taking it all in and then sketching a reminder, I might take pencils and paper with me next time I go out.

Original poster

zeitgeista · 05/01/2021 01:30

i would love to walk when it's dark and a clear sky but sadly i don't feel safe enough to do that.

thank you for responding as it's definitely inspired me even further to make an effort to get out tomorrow :)

OP posts:

AcornAutumn · 05/01/2021 01:34

@zeitgeista

i would love to walk when it's dark and a clear sky but sadly i don't feel safe enough to do that.

thank you for responding as it's definitely inspired me even further to make an effort to get out tomorrow :)

Same, a walk in the evening before bed is ideal but rarely happens.

If i lived somewhere else I'd certainly do it.

Original poster

zeitgeista · 05/01/2021 01:35

i wish creepy men didn't exist

OP posts:

InterstellarDrifter · 05/01/2021 02:02

It just reenergises me, calms me, uses up some energy that might otherwise be used negatively like shouting at the kids or being grumpy.
It feels like I’ve achieved something.
It also makes me happier to be at home.

weepingwillow22 · 05/01/2021 05:52

I like to take a walk in the woods with the birdnet app. I have been surprised at the number of different birds I can identify now from their song.

LuvMyBoyz · 05/01/2021 06:30

12 years ago I never went out except to work and shopping. I was lethargic and I couldn’t turn over in bed without considerable effort. A magazine article spurred me to try going out every single day for at least 5 minutes so I gave it a go.

I always had a suitable set of clothes and shoes ready to change into so ferreting around for them didn’t put me off (on a hanger in the garage) and to start with I literally only went out for 5 minutes.

Doing this made me quickly realise how nice it was out there and how even rain was OK to be out in as it’s often soft rain rather than sheets of water.

Go for it. Do what you feel like but do it every day. Once you acclimatise and find an easy way it’s great.

BridgetDrones · 05/01/2021 06:43

I had a horrendous panic attack back in the autumn where my body seemed to take over and made me pace. (I am actually quite a quiet, sedate, still person usually). I had to take the pacing outside and it was really helpful. It calmed me down and presumably used up some of the adrenaline, helped my breathing and the cool air was refreshing. I've since done it every single day even in rain. I found I actually like wind and rain because it feels great! I never would have believed that a home body like me who likes shoes and being warm and still would enjoy sticking on flats, a big coat and walking around outside. I don't go particularly far or fast only about half an hour. But I do half an hour every day. It has not cured my anxiety, but it is a useful strategy to have to know that a walk WILL help.

Nospringchickendipper · 05/01/2021 06:46

I can’t explain the feeling I get when I’ve been walking but I wish I could bottle it and give to people who are struggling.
I’ve really had to make the effort but walking in the snow in the moors near me has really helped me this week.

AuntieMarys · 05/01/2021 06:50

I live 5 minutes walk from sheep, fields and views despite living in a big city. It makes me calm to see nature and sort things in my head.
The mud is a pain at the moment but the right clothing helps.

joystir59 · 05/01/2021 06:52

Don't you have to get out every day anyway with your dog??

TammyTwoSwanson · 05/01/2021 06:52

Being outside in nature has proven health and mental health benefits. Even clouds or the odd tree dotted about count as nature, although if you get get to a big park or woods or beach, that's even better!
There's lots of science about it, I recommend the book "the nature fix" if you're interested in learning more (it's full of people's experiences too).
I definitely always feel better after a walk. I really love it when I can see the horizon and no buildings, it makes me just feel free or happier!

BatleyTownswomensGuild · 05/01/2021 07:04

There's been research on this. Green exercise really does help the body produce 'happy' chemicals. I noticed it really helped when I was recovering after COVID. Just fresh air in the lungs and the sounds of trees and birds was wonderful.

muddledmidget · 05/01/2021 07:10

It helps because it sets me a routine, ensures I'm dressed and possibly speak to someone else in the day as most people here will say hello. Don't go out with the intention of staying out for hours that will set you up to fail, its freezing and sitting still will just make you cold and stop you wanting to go tomorrow. Instead today, walk to the graveyard and find the oldest stone, or the most interesting, the oldest person etc.

ArosAdraDrosDolig · 05/01/2021 07:21

I don’t cope well if I don’t get outside every day. I don’t sleep well without the fresh air and doing something physical. I also find it shifts my mindset. I feel lighter and more motivated and calmer the rest of the day after being outside. When I don’t feel motivated, knowing how it will change the way I feel motivates me.

FoolsAssassin · 05/01/2021 07:25

I like it as it makes me feel grounded to see the seasons change, I find it comforting that however weird times are that nature does its own thing.

There is something that has been termed ‘nature disconnect’. In evolutionary terms the last 100 years or so is a tiny tiny proportion of evolution and the changes in our lifestyles are so huge and removed from what came before . We’ve become disconnected from nature in our everyday lives as most of us have a roof over our heads and no longer have to grow food to Survive.

Makes sense to me and I think a big part of why people feel better with regular time outside.

Fallox · 05/01/2021 07:29

For me some of the benefit is about building routine.
If I'm going out then:

it encourages me to be washed, dressed and teeth brushed

-helps break the day up to be honest or gives me a deadline eg I need to stop gaming, or dry my hair before 12 to go out -sometimes sorts out my sleep a bit as I have to be up at a certain time -Helps me feel like I've "done" something that day

All of it sounds a bit silly but I find if I have long stretches with no time out side eg a couple of days then I find things start to slip and i find it difficult to motivate myself
and get things like house stuff done, or not spend all day on my phone. Its amazing how quickly things can change for me

Dozer · 05/01/2021 07:35

For me, I like nature but the primary mental health benefit is from the exercise. I don’t think sitting outdoors, especially alone in the cold, would have anywhere near the benefits.

Standrewsschool · 05/01/2021 07:40

Change if scenery

Away from screens

Fresh air

My sil make sure she never checks her phone, makes phone calls etc whilst walking her dog (apart from answering calls). It’s a good approach. Appreciate what’s around you instead of looking down at a phone. Or to sum it up in a current trend, mindfulness.,

sandgrown · 05/01/2021 07:48

I take my dog for his last walk about 10pm and the last few nights have been crispy and clear. I stick to well lit built up areas but generally only meet other dog walkers. My ex suffered with depression and his doctor constantly told him to get outside to improve his mental health.

Snarfclamper · 05/01/2021 08:28

@BatleyTownswomensGuild

Not sure if I have remembered this correctly or not but I'm sure I saw on a nature programme on the TV recently (Country file?) that plants and trees emit chemicals that are good for humans; is this the same thing? Will have a look at the bk recommended by pp.

Great thread op! I hope you enjoy your walks and your drawing sessions. (I love painting and drawing outside, especially when no one is looking over your shoulder).

I feel physically ill if I can't walk outside in the countryside fairly frequently. I'm not a huge fan of walking in towns though (although I do), unless it's in a park. I think green spaces are hugely important for mental and physical space and I remember being really disappointed when the millennium projects were being discussed, that we didn't follow the example of our Victorian forefathers and invest in upgrading existing parks and creating new ones (especially in very urban areas) rather then spending it on the Dome. (At least the Dome redevelopment project included a wildflower meadow as I recall?)

I love green spaces in their own right but also because they are the places where we can interact with animals, which is also good to promote mindfulness etc, living in the moment as they tend to do. I also think planting something is a very hopeful and creative act.

I agree about the grounding effect of nature too. You tend to stop and look at tiny things such as insects and huge things such as trees and it makes you feel part of something far greater than yourself. I think it's quite relaxing knowing that you are not in charge and that nature keeps going season after season (well it will if we start looking after the earth properly again).

@Luvmyboyz that's a great achievement and a great tip about having clothes "ready to go" - I do the very same thing. Just out of interest (because I'm nosey ) what sort of distances do you do now? You mention turning over in bed was difficult for you before, has your flexibility improved? The reason I ask is that I walk fairly distances with dogs and I ride a (v slow !) horse in normal times (not riding atm) but despite this I've found my overall flexibility has plummeted after nine months of largely being under lockdown (not in UK) and of course I've put on weight. I wish that there were more fitness activities held in green spaces other then running. Some sort of exercise class held in a field would be great as being enclosed in a gym is a real turn off for me.

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