"Just go for a walk..."

[LittleMissUnreasonable]

Why does this always seem to be one of the big solutions for people who are suffering from poor mental health? Maybe if I lived in Southern Spain having a nice sunny walk would be very pleasant. But the weather being so miserable and grey ends up making me feel worse. The thought of putting on waterproofs to trudge through the grey endless rain, only to end up in a condensation filled cafe that smells of damp coats just doesn't seem very appealing

OK, so what do you want to solve your MH issues? Drugs, counselling?

You may not like to hear it but the "stiff upper lip, just get on with it" attitude does actually help for lots of people, and lots find it better than becoming reliant on drugs or sitting in a counsellor's office dwelling on all the negatives!

My Mother had dementia, just about still able to live on her own. I know instantly when I talk to her whether she's been out for a walk that morning -she's happier, more coherent, etc., even if she's just walked around the block. On days when she's not been out, she's morbidly depressed, can barely hold a conversation, etc.

Moving the body causes better blood flow all around the body and more importantly to the brain, it releases different kinds of "signals".

I walk to/from work every day when I can, i.e. around 95% of the days when it's not torrential rain, and perfectly possible to walk without getting drenched. The vast majority of days, there's no rain at all. On the very few days that I drive instead of walking, I feel it, I'm more sluggish, body and brain, often miserable, etc.

Presumably you go out for walks on all the days when it's not raining?

You won't regret it! And if you need to buy new wellies, get the brightest you can find. My red wellies always make me smile.

Doing something physical can and does help so many people with mental health problems, though. Walking is a solid, basic suggestion for people.

I joined ramblers to help my mental health and it has really helped. Socialising and walking. It’s extremely beneficial.

Empathy might make you nice and fuzzy for a wee bit but it won’t solve your issues.

I might be old fashioned but I certainly find the “Awwww, I know it’s so difficult” line accompanied with a head tilt that’s provided by many MH practitioners cloying and unhelpful.

Being in little forest walks and nature really does reset me hearing nothing but birdsong and trees rustling in the wind.

Ahem... sounded a bit poetic there, ignore.

Anyway, I do think it's more about being away from so many humans and just breathing in fresh air. To regain calm.

I am ND and have ADHD and when I do it, I feel so much calmer. I get stressed out by too many people. Find somewhere quiet to go by yourself. I try to find the beauty in the little things that I see, even though my life is shite right now.

It's not easy I know but that's the appeal of it.

@Giveituphq adult children living away from home except when they move back when inbetween jobs/flats. Work in v stressful (currently) job leaving house at 7am returning 5-6pm. half hour commute 🤷‍♀️already on AD's low dose. No spare money for anything. Need to start using the gym again before work but the 4.30am start is a bit difficult too when you aren't sleeping well.

Walking is something achievable to kick start or maintain a healthy lifestyle, you need very little equipment and you can do it while listening to a book or music. Doing it in nice surroundings is preferable though, certainly. But however awful the weather and however much I didn't feel like going out, I always feel better when I've been out for a walk with the dog.

This just appeared on my Facebook feed shortly after I commented on this post. Amazing the ways Facebook finds to spy on us! Anyway I really like this:

"Above all, do not lose your desire to walk. Everyday, I walk myself into a state of well-being and walk away from every illness. I have walked myself into my best thoughts, and I know of no thought so burdensome that one cannot walk away from it. But by sitting still, and the more one sits still, the closer one comes to feeling ill. Thus if one just keeps on walking, everything will be all right." ~Søren Kierkegaard

(Book: The Essential Kierkegaard amzn.to/3ENSTV3)

I think this thread is mostly people advising the Op not to dismiss the idea of going for a walk, as it may help, rather than people telling her that it's all anyone needs to do to fix mental illness by itself.

Could you PM me the title too please?

I also thoroughly agree with those who say make your winter outdoor clothing bright colours - far better a bright red, yellow, blue than more grey.

I have a friend who has suffered with mental health issues and addiction issues for many years. They have now moved away from everyone they know to a beautiful area with stunning views, walks. Each day they drag themselves out of bed and force themselves to go for long walks in the countryside. They say that it really helps keep them going ok the right path, and even though they struggle to get up some mornings, they always feel so much better after these glorious walks, whatever the weather.

Ive just got back from a walk I looked out of the window and it was (as usual for here) pissing with rain. By the time Id got ready to go put on the wet weather clothing etc and met my friend it had stopped raining. We've just had a lovely walk and I swear I can see some blue sky and the mist is starting to lift off the hills that surround us.
Im lucky I live in a very rural location over the year I watch the season change, we're coming into a time of year I hate short days lots of darkness rain and wind but just after Xmas when Ive really had enough I start to see the snowdrops in our hedges coming through for me it signifies the beginning of the end of the the winter and hope, then daffodils come and there are lambs in our fields, then the leaves start coming out on the trees and the days start to get longer. The migratory geese that fill our fields in the winter start getting ready to fly back to the artic, blossoms comes out in the trees, calves are born and then I see the first swallow, its nearly summer and the very long days are really here again. I see willow herb growing in our hedges honeysuckle meadow sweet cow parsley and thrift all over our beaches bats are flying at night. Now of course its autumn the swallows are gone or getting ready to go sitting on the electric wires, the geese are coming back, the curlews have been back for a quite a while and its raining as always. In a minute the trees are going to change colour and briefly look beautiful. But I know whats to come dark days and wind and rain but I also know that just after Xmas the snowdrops will be back in our hedges the that means the end of the winter and hope for whats going to come.
All this just by walking every day and it's completely free!

I love walking. I grew up in a family with no car, so we walked everywhere. I have always felt that my day is not complete and my brain not quite calibrated without a walk, whatever the crappy NI weather!

BUT

My mum just died last month. I am depressed. Am I going for walks? Nope. I know it would help me overall but I can't be arsed. Walking, moving my body, frees up my mind to think. It FORCES me to think. I don't want to think. Normally I would listen to an audiobook, but right now I can't block out the clamouring thoughts. What IS helping me right now is knitting or crocheting while simultaneously watching a series on Netflix or the iPlayer.

So, while I would say that walking is generally excellent for your mental health, it depends. I will probably get to the point of wanting/needing to walk again, but for now it's knitting and Netflix and Magnums!!!

@blobby10

I'd actually advise going gently (not a health professional, just speaking from personal experience). If you are stressed and not sleeping then getting up even earlier to go to the gym, or any high impact exercise like HIIT or running will actually stress out your body and just make you get every bug under the sun.

If you can I'd suggest trying to build in a bit of walking during your work day and a bit more at the weekend. And there are lot of free yoga videos online- doesn't have to be long, just 20 minutes would have an effect.

Also if a job/my lifestyle is stopping me from exercising then I've always aimed to change that when possible - as a long term aim if not possible straight away.

It does help, so much, and it doesn’t rain every day. Even in the greyest months.

And walking is BORING

I accept fully it is good for mental health but it makes my teeth itch.

Its slightly bearable if you listen to an audio book OP?

YABU. I have had some lovely walks in full waterproofs. It does make you feel good.

I walk every day (well almost), I walked today in the rain and although it was windy and wet it still made me feel good. I totally get it’s not a magic cure for everyone but moving/exercising is known to help improve mental health. If the weathers too awful then I go for a swim instead, I hate being stuck indoors and hate going a day without exercise (it makes me feel worse).

So a walk is not going to be a super effective treatment for depression and its never as simple as 'just going for a walk' - trying to find the actual motivation to get up and get ready to go on that walk in the first place is a huge hurdle and one I find too big to get over some days, let alone the actual walk itself. However - if you are on a severely low place, for instance experiencing suicidal thoughts or self harm urges, going for a walk can distract you enough to get past that initial really strong urge. It might ground you enough to be able to reach out to someone.

Going for a walk isn't a treatment for mental illness, its not a magic cure, it's not as simplistic as you can fix your mental health if you just think positively enough, if you just try harder (which is what it can come across as a lot of the time, I know when I'm in the depths of my worst days I hate people telling me to just go for a walk, or have I tried excericising). But sometimes things like walks can be a really useful distraction technique (if you can get up and get ready in the first place of course).

I know how frustrating it is though, I've lost count of the comments I get from people such as 'how can you be so depressed you don't wash - that's gross' and 'how can you allow your house to get that messy, that's so lazy'.......I get do depressed I want to kill myself, I think that's a little more concerning than skipping a shower some days. We may have come a long way from the 50's but there's still a loooonnnngggg way to go in terms of understanding and help available for mental illness. It doesn't help that there genuinely is very, very little available support, I find it extremely hard to make friends which means I don't have a support group around me, I rang samaritans and text shout recently and didn't get a response from either one. It's terrifying at the moment.

And if you work in MH you'll be aware of the extensive research around exercise, fresh air and being outside in nature having significant impacts on mild-moderate depression.

And the fact that we have a mental crisis in this country not just because of underfunded MH services, but because for decades GPs doled out benzodiazapines and anti-depressants to millions of people who weren't helped at all by those medications and often became worse off because they suffered side effects or addiction.

And none of those medications actually solved the issue for many people who weren't suffering from endogenous depression but were struggling single Mums, bereaved people, traumatised people or just people for whom life was stressful or shit.

So researched helped us to realise that exercise, walks, routines, productive activity and talking therapies were for most people, much better than medications.

Medication absolutely plays a part in treatment of some depressive and anxiety disorders and can be life saving.

But it isn't always the case that there's a magic pill which will make everything brighter. And even if those pills lift mood, like mirtazapine did for me when i was seriously depressed, there's the side effects of increased appetite and weight gain for which walking helped.

People don't want to help themselves. It's pathetic but you're not alone in that, OP.

I was talking to a doctor once who said every Tuesday morning his clinic is full of people - mostly women - asking for antidepressants. A few questions and it transpires they spend their weekends drinking Prosecco and other sugary alcoholic drinks, then spend Sunday and Monday hungover and coming down from the sugar high.

They're told this and still they don't accept that it's their lifestyle that's contributing to their low mood. Why should they when they can just start popping antidepressants which will solve all their problems?

I wouldn't go out in torrential rain but walking is great for your health and even if you get home cold and wet, having a shower and sitting wrapped up in bed feels much better after a walk than it would after sitting on the couch all day.