Can Nature Improve Your Mental Health? 

According to Mental Health Charity – Mind, spending time in green space or bringing nature into your everyday life can benefit both your mental and physical wellbeing. For example, doing things like growing food or flowers, exercising outdoors or being around animals can have lots of positive effects. It can:

·      improve your mood

·      reduce feelings of stress or anger

·      help you take time out and feel more relaxed

·      improve your physical health

·      improve your confidence and self-esteem

·      help you be more active

·      help you meet and get to know new people

·      connect you to your local community

·      reduce loneliness

·      help you feel more connected to nature

·      provide peer support.

This was the topic of conversation for the phone in with Rona Dougall on BBC Radio Scotland. I was invited on to share my own experience and tips for recovery. 

Activities like, river kayaking, running, and gardening were all part of my healing process. After the losing both my mum and sister to cancer, my mental health and wellbeing was affected by the grief. I also became a full-time carer and guardian for my other sister Shelly, who is an adult with learning disabilities who requires 24/7 care. Was I clinically depressed? No. But I was certainly deeply affected by circumstances. I found the grief consuming. Medication was not going to fix what I call “Circumstantial Depression”

Sadly, doctors are too quick to offer anti – depressants rather than prescribe naturally, serotonin inducing activities, like walking in nature, exercise, spending time cuddling animals or gardening. 

In this interview with Rona Dougall on BBC Radio Scotland, the focus was on wild water swimming being an antidote to depression and other mental health disorders. There is growing evidence to support this.  As you’ll hear in my interview with Rona, any activity that forces you to be present and give you a reprieve from your negative thoughts will always be beneficial. Not to mention, movement and being outdoors releases hormones that reduce stress and anxiety, helping you to work from better foundations to deal with the adversity and challenges that life is currently throwing at you. 

I know its not easy, but I am living proof its worth it. 

If you would like to know more about my story, you can read it here 

If you are struggling and would like coaching support, contact me on Info@changeyourworld.me. 

You don't have to handle this alone. 

To hear my interview with Rona, click here 

Suzy xxx