BY ELYSE WILD
How Spending Time Outdoors Can Improve Your Mental Health
E
ven under normal circumstances, by the time West Michigan winter lets go of its wet grip on spring, we are more than eager for the opportunity to spend as much time outside as possible. After enduring the coronavirus shelter-in-place order, I think it’s fair to say that getting into the great outdoors (or heck, even your backyard) is key in maintaining mental health through a time when many of us have felt trapped inside. If you need any other reason beside, you know, the gloriousness of West Michigan in the summer, Christine Mushlock, LMSW and outpatient therapist at Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Service adds, “Our minds and bodies are affected by our environment. Stressful home, school or work environments can contribute to muscle tension, elevated blood pressure and increased levels of stress
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hormones in the body, which over time, can contribute to elevated symptoms of anxiety and depression. Research shows that spending time outdoors, in natural environments, can reduce these symptoms as well as improve cognitive functioning, energy and mood.” Since coronavirus shutdown orders began to roll out across the nation, reports of anxiety and depression have risen; in a survey conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation, 45% of adults reported that the pandemic has negatively impacted their overall mental health. And, healthtrends.com reported that Michigan ranked number 1 nationwide from tweets about anxiety and depression. If you are among those experiencing these emotions, Muschlock says that getting outdoors might help
“It’s not rocket science that anxiety and depression take a toll on a person’s emotional, social and physical well-being,” said Mushlock. “And while spending time outdoors won’t cure depression and anxiety, there is an ever-growing body of research that shows a multitude of mental and physical health benefits of time spent outdoors, which scientists and researchers are trying to better understand” And while the governor may have rescinded the shelter-in-place order, social distancing is still required. The question is, how do we even begin to enjoy the summer we look forward to all year long? We still can; it’s just going to look a little different.
Visit State Parks
State parks, trails, forests and other public lands
Women’s LifeStyle Magazine • June 2020
