how has getting outside everyday improved your mental health?

[zeitgeista]

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

that should have read "fairly long distances with dogs"

I have a job which involves sitting on my arse all day. So when I get home i have tea then go for a walk. I don’t use the weather as an excuse. On weekends i find a mountain and walk up that. I run, do weights and hone exercise.

I loathe being still and being outdoors is what I love.

@joystir59

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

no, my mum takes him out (i'm a teenager and it's not one of my responsibilities).

thank you everyone else for your responses. i will try going out today as i'm actually quite looking forward to it, although i'm dreading the cold :(

Well done, make sure you wrap up warm (but wear layers in case you get warm as you walk, and need to strip off). My DD15 has been trying to walk every day, and I think it helps her focus on something other that school work and exams.

I'm a frequent walker, and just like the feeling of being outside. Last time I walked alone I saw a beautiful deer bound away just feet in front of me, and fields full of rabbits. It's also a great opportunity to listen to an audio book or podcast.

I'm sure you dog (and mum) will be delighted if you start taking him out for more walks. Enjoy!

I know I'm not my best when I can't be bothered and just want to hunker down for a few days, then I get twitchy and feel much better for getting out. If I don't move and get out enough I stop sleeping after about 4-5 days.

I agree about layering up in cold weather. Trying to keep an coverage all over is more comfortable than thicker zones and exposed areas. The head and neck is particularly prone to cooling off the body.

Urban planners have long known the importance of planning in green and open spaces.

Often on a longer run, I'll pause and have a quiet 5 minutes on a bench.

I also do outdoor fitness classes and I enjoy them much more than indoor air-conditioned studios. Plus at the moment they are more resiliant to tier changes and can carry on in tier 3. A lot tend to be described as "boot camp" and run by independent instructors. British Military Fitness is a popular company.

Walking outdoors is the only time I feel normal at the moment.
I’d love to live somewhere scenic, but even walking the streets here/ going to the scrubby field that passes for a park here helps. I’m going to miss walking the dc to and from school.

Great thread OP

I walk to and from work everyday and I love it, wish it was longer! but sadly as of tomorrow I’ll be WFH and this has reminded me that I MUST go for a daily walk , if not 2 (one with kids for them , one without for my mental health )

@joystir59

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

Just what I was thinking.

I think it helps me to just feel that there’s a big wide world out there that isn’t my house!

i'm sitting on a bench at the graveyard right now and i'm glad i got out.

@zeitgeista

i'm sitting on a bench at the graveyard right now and i'm glad i got out.

Fab update :)

I have times where I don't go out. I'll open the curtains day or night. I'll stand by the open window and breathe in fresh air. I'll do yoga. But it's not the same. It's hard to explain exactly what the difference is but there is one. Getting outside and feeling the air surrounding me, the sky above me and the earth under my feet. I have a sort of primal urge to walk, it's what my body was made for.

Re being cold. Tights, normal socks, thermal socks. Jeans. Vest, shirt, jumper. Big coat, hat, scarf, gloves, boots. We get used to dressing for central heating and an indoors life.

When I moved from a big city to a smaller town with more wind from the coast, less buildings and less people, I discovered that I didn't actually own any proper winter clothes. Close knitted jumpers (ones you can't see your vest through) with a percentage of wool, even 5% makes a difference. Coats that have a sturdy windproof outer as well as padding and a style that isn't cropped. Thick knitted scarves and bobble hats. Jeans with some weight to them, good thick denim. Thick cotton long sleeve shirts instead of sheer blouses, t-shirts or jersey tops. Socks and jeans long enough that there's a bit of an overlap, definitely no ankle gap. All helps to keep the cold out.

For those wanting to see the stars I recommend 3am when you've got the world to yourself. Never came to any harm doing this. But have been robbed, groped and punched unconscious (not all at once) in broad daylight in busy public places whilst going about my business doing ordinary sensible things. Or just go in your garden to see stars, if you have one.

i'd do anything to have a garden to look at the stars at night : (.

thanks for all the advice about what clothing to stay warm, i just ordered some gloves : ).

Make sure you go again tomorrow @zeitgeista, there is so much stuff to see everywhere! I use a nature app called iNaturalist that helps me ID wild flowers, bugs, fungi, but I also love photography (haven't done much for ages) so like to set myself a challenge which leads me on journeys