Talk therapy (psychotherapy),
antidepressant medication, and lifestyle changes are often essential tools for
managing major depression. But sometimes just soaking up some sunshine,
breathing a little fresh air, and feeling your toes in the grass can provide
relief from depression symptoms too.
“When we walk, we naturally go to
the fields and woods: What would become of us, if we walked only in a garden or
a mall?” wrote Henry David Thoreau in The Atlantic in 1862.
Thoreau extolled (and extolled
and extolled—the piece was more than 12,000 words long) the virtues of walking
in untamed environments. In the decades since, psychologists have proved him
right. Exposure to nature has been shown repeatedly to reduce stress and boost
well-being.
But scientists haven’t been sure
why. Does it have to do with the air? The sunshine? Some sort of evolutionary
proclivity toward green-ness?
The Benefits of Going Outdoors
Although some research shows that
being outdoors can be a mood booster, the science behind it has not been fully
proven until recently. “Much of the evidence of the positive effects of outdoor
living and exercise is anecdotal,” says Brad M. Reedy, PhD, a partner and the
director of clinical services at Second Nature Wilderness Programs in Duchesne,
Utah. Fortunately, there are many ways to get outdoors and test the theory for
yourself.
Wilderness therapy programs, such
as those run by Dr. Reedy, use nature to teach skills that can also help you
manage symptoms of major depression. “By meeting challenges and problem-solving
in a natural setting, self-esteem and a sense of self-efficacy are improved,”
he says.
Being in the great outdoors lends
itself to mindfulness, Reedy says, which is a key element of a type of
evidence-based therapy known as dialectical behavior therapy (DBT). This
therapy encourages accepting things that make you uncomfortable versus
struggling with them. “DBT has been shown to be effective in treating mood
disorders and chronically suicidal individuals,” he says.
In addition to nature’s calming
effect on depression symptoms, being outdoors gives you a great excuse to
exercise, another important way to help manage depression. While exercise
boosts endorphins — natural body chemicals that elicit sensations of pleasure —
exercising outdoors can improve self-esteem and reduce feelings of depression,
anger, and tension, according to a review of research published in the journal
Extreme Physiology & Medicine in 2013.
So couple the effects of exercise
with the mood-boosting properties of the great outdoors, and you’ll address
your body’s physical and emotional needs. The researchers also noted that the
first five minutes of outdoor exercise offer the greatest benefits, proving
that you do not have to devote hours of time outside to reap the rewards.
‘Going Green’ to Calm Major Depression
Dick Sederquist, an avid hiker,
credits time spent in nature with helping him manage the depression he has had
his whole life. The retired engineer-turned-author and motivational speaker
goes hiking when he needs a mental boost.
“During the worst of my
depression and loss of hope and self-esteem, hiking gave me concrete goals, the
satisfaction of achieving those goals, and a source of hope in planning and
achieving future goals,” Sederquist says. “Hiking is like entering a time
machine, a timeless experience. Deep in the woods, away from the traffic noise,
all you feel is the exertion, your breathing, and the elements around you. It’s
impossible to be distracted by your everyday worries and concerns.”
Kristen Kalp struggles with major
depression and enjoys nature to help manage her mood. “I use the outdoors to
get into my body for a walk, a jog, a bit of yoga, or lying-on-the-grass
meditation,” Kalp says. “Being outside helps clear my head, lift my spirits,
and increase my focus on the present moment.” Being near water is particularly
healing for her. “I notice all my problems seem lighter and less stressful,”
she says. “Throwing off my shoes and splashing in a stream does more for my
mental state than weeks of talk therapy does.”
Maximizing Nature’s Benefits for Depression
Whether you have major depression
or simply want to improve your emotional health, start finding ways to get
outdoors each day, Reedy says. Absorb nature with all of your senses. Listen to
the birds, smell freshly cut grass, dip your toes in a pond or stream. If you
usually exercise in a gym, try taking your workout outside — go for a walk, a
run, a hike, or a bike ride. Head outside to have lunch or dinner.
Spending time in nature cannot
replace your prescribed depression treatment plan, but it can be a helpful
complement to it. There is something about the great outdoors, that soothes the
soul. “Gratitude and mindfulness, beauty and serenity are inherent in nature,”
Reedy says. “The silence of nature quiets the mind and offers a person the
opportunity to get in touch with the core of the self.”
Hiking in Nature Can Stop Negative, Obsessive Thoughts
Aside from the almost instant
feeling of calm and contentment, that accompanies time outdoors, hiking in
nature can reduce rumination. Many of us often find ourselves consumed by
negative thoughts, which takes us out of the enjoyment of the moment at best
and leads us down a path to depression and anxiety at worst. But a recent study
published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that
spending time in nature decreases these obsessive, negative thoughts by a
significant margin.
To conduct this study,
researchers compared the reported rumination of participants who hiked through
either an urban or a natural environment. They found those who walked for 90
minutes in a natural environment reported lower levels of rumination and they
also had reduced neural activity in the subgenual prefrontal cortex, an area of
the brain related to mental illness. Those who walked through the urban
environment, however, did not report decreased rumination.
The researchers noted that
increased urbanization closely correlates with increased instances of
depression and other mental illness. Taking the time to regularly remove
ourselves from urban settings and spend more time in nature can greatly benefit
our psychological (and physical) well-being.
Hiking While Disconnected From Technology Boosts Creative Problem
Solving
A study conducted by
psychologists Ruth Ann Atchley and David L. Strayer found that creative problem
solving can be drastically improved by both disconnecting from technology and
reconnecting with nature. Participants in this study went backpacking through
nature for about 4 days, during which time they were not allowed to use any
technology whatsoever. They were asked to perform tasks, which required
creative thinking and complex problem solving, and researchers found that
performance on problem solving tasks improved by 50% for those who took part in
this tech-free hiking excursion.
The researchers of this study
noted that both technology and urban noise are incredibly disruptive,
constantly demanding our attention and preventing us from focusing, all of
which can be taxing to our cognitive functions. A nice long hike, sans technology,
can reduce mental fatigue, soothe the mind, and boost creative thinking.
Hiking Outdoors Can Improve ADHD in Children
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity
Disorder (ADHD) is becoming more and more common among children. Children who
have ADHD have a difficult time with impulse control and staying focused, they
get distracted easily, and exhibit excessive hyperactivity.
While raising children who have
ADHD can be difficult for parents, the usual solution — opting for prescription
medication — may be doing more harm than good, particularly when natural
solutions can work just as well. A study conducted by Frances E Kup, PhD, and
Andrea Faber Taylor, PhD, found that exposing children with ADHD to “green
outdoor activities” reduces symptoms significantly. The results of this study
suggest nature exposure can benefit anyone who has a difficult time paying
attention and/or exhibits impulsive behavior.
Hiking in Nature Is Great Exercise and Therefore Boosts Brainpower
We already know that exercising
is fantastic for our overall well-being. Hiking is an excellent way to burn
between 400 – 700 calories per hour, depending on your size and the hike
difficulty, and it is easier on the joints than other activities like running.
It has also been proven that people who exercise outside are more likely to
keep at it and stick to their programs, making hiking an excellent choice for
those wishing to become more active on a regular basis.
Researchers from the University
of British Columbia found that aerobic exercise increases hippocampal volume —
the part of the brain associated with spatial and episodic memory — in women
over the age of 70. Such exercise not only improves memory loss, but helps
prevent it as well. Researchers also found that it can also reduce stress and
anxiety, boost self-esteem, and release endorphins. Many people take medication
to solve each and every one of these issues, but the solution to these ills may
be a lot simpler than you think!
How it works?
Studies of MRI to measure brain
activity found that when participants viewed nature scenes, the anterior
insular cortex (the activity center of human empathy), lit up compared to images of urban scenes, the amygdala located
deep in the anterior inferior temporal lobe of the brain (associated with fear
and anxiety) was triggered.
Here are the main catalysts:
ü Oxytocin. Is a hormone that is released
into the blood during various types of touching; cuddling, hugging, kissing,
and so on. Oxytocin stimulates muscle contractions and increases heart rate
producing emotional feeling associated with love, peace, nurturing, and
security. Hiking and viewing nature are catalysts for such a release, and who
does not need to feel loved? Especially when you are in the dumps.
ü Endorphins. Are released by the
pituitary gland, and makes you feel stimulated, blocking out feelings of pain,
allowing one to “get over” what they may be experiencing in their life at the
time.
ü Dopamine. Is a pleasure chemical, and is
often associated with orgasms. Hiking stimulates dopamine production, not
exactly providing you the big “O”, but definitely getting some of the happy
feels shooting through your system instead of the “poor me” vibes.
ü Serotonin. A chemical responsible for
happiness, restful sleep, and a healthy appetite. Serotonin works with
endorphins to make walking and hiking a pleasurable activity. It also
encourages more serotonin and brings more energy and clearer thinking, pushing
those depressive, confusing thoughts aside.
So, all in all, the activity of
hiking isn’t just about the exercise, but the visual cues and hormone release
that makes different areas of our brains light up, triggering good emotions and
lowering stress, reducing depression, and giving us an overall feeling
well-being, thus helping relieve a depressive state.
More healing Benefits of Hiking
Some research suggests that the
physical benefits of hiking extend far beyond cardiovascular health, and may
even go as far as to help cancer patients recover. In a study published in the
International Journal of Sports Medicine researchers measured oxidative stress
(thought to play a role in the onset, progression and recurrence of cancer)
rates of women with breast cancer and men with prostate cancer before and after
hiking. The study found that long distance hiking trips may improve the
antioxidative capacity, which helps fight off disease, in the blood of
oncological patients. Another study showed that breast cancer survivors who
exercised regularly — many in the form of hiking — believed that physical
activity complemented their recovery from cancer treatment.
How Can You Begin To Start Hiking?
Luckily, hiking is one of the easiest
and least expensive sports to get involved in, and it can have great benefits
for the whole family, including grandma! Start out small and test your
abilities. Do what works for you — if that means just walking through trails in
a park, that is fine. Any exercise outdoors is better than none. You can easily
find maps of trails around your home online, and there are plenty of smartphone
apps to map them out, too.
Make sure you have some good
sturdy hiking shoes, a hat, and a water bottle, and be sure to layer your
clothing so you can take things on or off easily as you warm up and cool down.
You may want to consider using trekking poles as well, which can increase your
speed and take some of the pressure off your knees.
Sources and Additional Information:
