Improving your mental and physical health and sense of well-being by spending time in nature

Climb the mountain to get good news. The peace of nature will flow into you just as the sun’s rays flow into the trees. ~John Muir

The complexities and demands of 21st century life have been further exacerbated by the uncertainty caused by the coronavirus pandemic, with an increasing number of people suffering from chronic They appear to be more susceptible to stress, anxiety, and depression. . When caught up and swept away by this river of difficulty, they move away from conscious contact with present-moment consciousness and, by extension, feel centered, fixed, or grounded. It also distances us from the experience of feeling.

Long before the emergence of the coronavirus, humans were becoming increasingly disconnected from nature, especially in the United States. According to surveys, Americans spend more than 90% of their time indoors, most of it in buildings and only a small amount of time inside vehicles.

But an unforeseen effect of the isolation and withdrawal necessitated by quarantine at the height of the pandemic was that people’s desire (sometimes to the point of overwhelming their ability) to spend time in nature, especially America’s national parks, This is a significant increase.

A growing body of scientific research has proven the wide range of benefits that contact with nature, from urban parks to natural areas, has on human health and well-being. These include, but are not limited to:

• stress reduction
• improved sleep
• reduced anxiety
• reduction in depression
• Improvement of ADD/DHD symptoms
• Greater satisfaction and happiness
• Increased prosocial behavior
• decrease in blood pressure
• Improved pain control
• Improving immune system function

When you go for a walk or hike, your heart pumps faster, which circulates more blood and oxygen not only to your muscles but to all your organs, including your brain. Walking regularly also promotes new neural connections.

Additionally, these activities are a protective factor against normal age-related atrophy of brain matter, increasing the volume of the hippocampus (a brain region important for memory) and stimulating the growth of new neurons to transmit messages. Increases molecular levels. between them.

In addition to these health-promoting benefits, hiking in the wilderness helps negotiate the uncertainty and associated self-doubt that characterizes the mental, emotional, and spiritual wilderness of these uncertain and highly volatile times. is a powerful metaphor for the process of .

Hiking is an activity that requires and promotes mindfulness. Following mountain, forest, or desert trails teaches skills to confront and navigate uncertainty and ambiguity, which can lead to emotional dysregulation that causes anxiety, self-doubt, frustration, and/or fear. This will be a valuable opportunity to put this into practice. .

If the path is wide and clear, you can see quite a distance ahead. On a winding route, it’s impossible to know what’s around the next bend. In some cases, trails can be easily identified and followed. And yet, later on, the very same traces become harder to discern, and it seems as if they have either completely disappeared, or some potential and equally plausible options have appeared.

In situations like this, it is best to stop and remain physically and mentally still. By paying close attention to and quieting the inner chatter that causes anxiety, frustration, and self-doubt, you’ll be more attentive, able to find your path, and keep going. In some cases, your assessment of where the trail begins may be incorrect and you may have to backtrack to find the correct path.

The terrain may be flat and gentle, with gentle ups and downs that may be easy to traverse. At times it is extremely steep, requiring significant ascents and subsequent descents, making the trek difficult and tiring. Steep hills are often slow and require a lot of energy, and steep descents require constant adjustments to maintain balance. In some cases, the trail may be smooth and relatively free of obstacles, but it may be covered with large or loose rocks called scree, tree roots, or deep sand that can be difficult to navigate and can result in a fall or a fall. This may lead to injury.

While some trails may seem mundane and mundane, their essential beauty is more mundane and subtle, and you have to look harder and deeper to see it. not. Other trails take you across stunning landscapes whose beauty is immediately apparent and awe-inspiring.

From an avid hiker’s perspective, some days can be tough on the trail. I feel heavy and lethargic, and every step seems like a struggle. When I trudge forward, focus on putting one foot in front of the other, literally taking everything one step at a time, progress slows and stalls. and ponderosa pines, Douglas fir, bristlecone pines (over 9,000 feet in elevation in parts of southern Nevada), and the surfaces of granite, sandstone, and limestone rock formations.

Hiking in the wilderness requires careful, conscious preparation and a lot of effort. What are the trade-offs? To be able to open our hearts and see and experience transcendent places that are geographically and spiritually wonderful and that are inaccessible in any other way.

Copyright 2021 Dan Mager, MSW

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