Mental health & outdoor activity

Does being outside do wonders for your mental health? Do you feel better once you’ve stepped out for a breath of fresh air? Does your headspace deteriorate when you’re constantly cooped up inside?

With COVID-19 and the third national lockdown, many people have been forced to stay indoors for long periods of time. With this, many have noticed a deterioration in their mental health.

Therefore, time outside is more important than ever. Read the rest of this article to read more about outdoor activities you can partake in, even during lockdown.

Outdoor time & mental health

Many daily routines have been disrupted ever since the lockdown took place. Kids don’t get to spend much time playing outside, hang out with friends, or go to school. This can make them prone to boredom, loneliness, and even poor mental health. Essentially the same can be said for adults.

Staying indoors for hours or days at a time can negatively influence everyone’s mental health. This is especially true for those who love being outdoors! Even homebodies after a while can start to develop cabin fever.

While Netflix and reclining in front of the telly can be relaxing, you might find yourself getting restless sooner or later. Whether that’s from staring at a screen all day or not moving around a lot.

This is why a change of scenery by being outdoors can do wonders for your mental health. Breathing in the fresh air and reconnecting with nature can reinvigorate your brain. And it’s always a welcome excuse to stare at something that isn’t social media! Moving around in a much more open space can also make you feel less claustrophobic and stuffy. Whether it’s going for a run or a stroll, this can easily give those “feel-good” endorphins!

COVID friendly outdoor activities

Nowadays, it’s easy for many of us to gravitate to our screen of choice as a way of keeping us entertained or busy. By doing this, you might find that along the way it becomes debilitating for your mental health. Especially with constant exposure to the news that can bring you down. Therefore, it’s important that we take a break every now and then.

Certain freedoms might still be out of reach for the remainder of this lockdown. But that doesn’t mean you can’t go outdoors! Luckily, this lockdown allows you to get out of the house once a day.

Whether it’s by yourself or with someone from your household, these outdoor activities are something you can do. Reconnect with nature, and distract yourself from something that isn’t social media.

Here is a list of outdoor activities good for your mental health that you can consider:

• Walking
• Drawing
• Journalling
• Meditating
• Listening to music
• Hiking
• Fishing
• Golfing
• Canoeing
• Yoga
• Tai chi
• Qi gong
• Going for a run

Outdoor time & mental health share a good relationship. During this lockdown, therapy for depression or anxiety might be out of reach. So fresh air can be just what we need to lift our spirits. Thankfully, there are many outdoor activities you can do while keeping safe!

SupportRoom

Our platform is now live! Register your interest and connect with a therapist instantly. SupportRoom is here to revolutionise the way we access mental support. Nobody should suffer in silence, and we think that therapy support should be immediate and accessible.

Our platform offers patients confidential, professional mental health support for individuals and businesses. We connect you with licensed professionals, who can provide round-the-clock support via multiple formats – such as unlimited messaging or video calls.

We also have an EAP solution that provides detailed analytics to help organisations improve mental health within their workplace, and understand why their employees may suffer from mental health issues.