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Feeling better outside: Happy Valley therapy
Posted Friday 28 October 2011
Continuning our series of blogs supporting our autumn Ecominds campaign, Laura tells us about her relaxing countryside walk.
I went for a countryside walk last weekend with my lovely friend Amy. We went to Surrey and walked from Box Hill to Leatherhead. Box Hill is a town. It is also a hill, after which the town is named, which we walked up. The hill is called Box Hill because:
- It is a hill
- It has many box trees growing on it.
I had never heard of box trees before. I’m not exactly sure which ones they were, but I did notice a lot of gnarly twisted interesting-looking trees along the way. I imagine they were those. They were pretty exciting trees!
So, what’s this got to do with mental health?
A lot. Apparently hanging out in the countryside, especially when said hanging-out involves some sort of exercise, is very good for our mental health.
It doesn’t even need to be proper out-in-the-sticks countryside. Chilling with the trees and flowers, and maybe even some ducks, in your local park is excellent too. So is spending time in your garden. Growing stuff in your garden or on an allotment is even better. And, as an added bonus, growing your own fruit and vegetables is considered pretty cool these days. That’s why I do it...
Such outdoorsy pursuits in relation to mental health is sometimes called ‘ecotherapy’. I think this is a nice term. Research commissioned by Mind found that people experience decreased levels of tension and depression and higher self-esteem after a walk outside, as compared to a walk inside.
I’ve been hearing a lot about this lately because I’m lucky enough to work for Mind, and my colleague Ken is always banging on about our ‘Feel better outside, feel better inside’ campaign. That’s actually a pretty clever title, isn’t it?
Seriously, I do generally feel better inside, when I go outside. I’ve always loved the countryside, parks and greenery, so ecotherapy is second nature to me anyway. It always makes me feel more relaxed. Even if I’m not specifically in need of relaxation! I’m not sure why it works but it does.
I really felt like getting out of London at the weekend. I’ve been feeling pretty tense and agitated this week. My mood has been fairly up and down over the last few months, so I’m trying to look after myself by doing nice relaxing things. I’m also taking anti-depressants too… but I like to add a little natural therapy to the equation.
It was just nice to get away from the hustle and bustle, to get some fresh air, a bit of exercise and to notice all the things along the way. Apart from the box trees, we saw lots of exciting things: sheep, cows, horses, swans, bees, pretty flowers and maize. I really do love maize, it’s so big and awesome – standing next to it makes me feel like one of the borrowers.
It was also generally lovely to experience autumn in the countryside. It’s such a beautiful time of year, and the city doesn’t quite do it justice. As if all that wasn’t enough, I found a conker. This experience wasn’t quite the same without my brother being there to enter into any my-conker-is-bigger-than-yours bickering, as well as the fact I’m no longer eight years old, but I enjoyed it anyway.
Part of our walk was aptly named the Happy Valley, which made it all the better!
Although I was feeling tense this week, I’m otherwise in relatively good spirits. I know from my own experience it can be very hard to get up and do things when you’re not. But again, from my own experience, I’d say give it a try if you can, even if it’s just a stroll in your local park.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/www-mind-org-uk/sets/72157627993799998/show/
Remember, you too could experience these exciting sights if you go on a countryside walk.
You can also enter Mind’s nature photography competition. (I can't enter because I work for Mind.)
When I got home I watered the plants in my garden, which relieved my tension by, ooh... at least a further five percent, I’m sure. I then ate some of the tomatoes I’ve grown in my garden.
Hurrah! What a lovely day!
Laura
Catch up with Laura's blogs about mental health at: www.girlinconvenienced.wordpress.com
7 Comments
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Who is funding ecominds? I'd rather the money went on us finding jobs, this is all a delberate distraction from the real issues such as discrimination exclusion welfare cuts and suicides
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I agree with the benefits of being outside in the fresh air. But we mustnt forget that many people with mental health problems are being held in hospital and denied any access to the fresh air. When I was in hospital under a section they would not let me outside even for five minutes for the first week I was there. Then I was awarded "escorted leave" which means not allowed out unless accompanied by a nurse. I was made to feel like I was being a tremendous nuisance simply for asking to be accompanied down to the garden. These nurses are so busy...what they are doing sitting together in the office all the time is difficult to ascertain but it must be much more important than attending to the patients...Access to fresh air and gentle exercise is a human right. Keeping people locked up in depressing environments is not good for anyone's mental health.
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I agree Mary but people are effectively locked up in the community in inner cities as well because if access to a green space means a bus ride and you've lost your travel card or can't afford the bus fare it's meaningless. Then of course you might end up questioned as to how you dare be out between 9 and 5 when you should be working and if you do have a travel card then you could end up being interrogated as to why you have one.
It's all very nice but as Linda says.. -
Hi Linda,
Ecominds is funded by the Big Lottery Fund through its £200m Changing Spaces programme. Mind successfully secured a very small amount of this money - £7.5m - to fund organisations providing environmental projects that involve people with mental health problems in outdoor green activities. These activities have been proven to help improve mental health, Mind was able to back this up with evidence from our Ecotherpapy report. So this money and Ecominds should not be seen as diverting funds from other areas. Full credit to Big Lottery Fund for recognising the benefits of outdoor activities for people with mental health problems.
In the first study of people involved in Ecominds projects, 94 per cent reported that it had benefitted their mental health. Personally, I find that green excercise really helps my mental health which is why I wanted to write the blog. I think the Ecominds scheme is really important because it gives people another valid option to improve their mental health.
Best wishes, Laura
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Mary – I’m sorry to hear about your experience. It must have been an incredibly difficult time and it is such a shame that you weren’t helped and encouraged to get outside – I absolutely agree that this should be a human right. Mind is about to start a new Care in Crisis campaign to highlight and improve the care people receive when they are in crisis, including inpatients in mental health hospitals.
We have spent the past year gathering stories so that the campaign is based on first-hand experience. It seems clear that many people have had similar experiences in mental health hospitals – that is where staff have not had enough time to provide a properly therapeutic environment and to treat patients as individuals.
There are however examples of good practice. An Ecominds grant was awarded to a secure mental health unit in Hull to transform a concrete courtyard into a garden with the full participation of residents. They then provided art and horticultural classes.
I hope that we can change things as I think everyone should have access to facilities like this.
Best wishes,
Laura -
Mindreader – I understand that it can be very difficult to get to green spaces when you live in the city. I live in London but I manage to get into the countryside by train when I can. But I understand that this can often be expensive. I am lucky that my mental health is relatively good at the moment and I am able to work, and obviously this makes things easier for me financially. There are a number of Ecominds projects in London and in other cities – you can find these through the activity picker http://www.mind.org.uk/ecominds/activity_picker
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7.5 million plus could fund good lawyers to challenge the Government, media, the NHS and other State departments for their discrimination, dehumanisation, exclusion and persecution of the mentally ill.
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