What are Mood Disorders?
Mood disorders are psychological disorders that can elevate or lower a person's mood. Mood disorders include Depression and Anxiety among many more. These mood disorders can create severe impairments that can restrict daily living activities.
What is Anxiety?
Anxiety is a common mental health disorder that creates a persistent worry or fear that can interfere with daily living.
Anxiety can be mild, trigger panic attacks, or create phobias.
Anxiety is a normal response to stress but when it persists it can disrupt daily functioning.
What is Depression?
Depression can be Unipolar or Bipolar.
Unipolar depression symptoms include loss of energy, recurrent thoughts of death, helplessness, and changes in sleeping and eating patterns.
Bipolar depression is a manic depression. It's symptoms include exaggerated feelings of happiness that can turn into extreme states of depression.
How can physical activity in a natural setting help?
Mood disorders are usually treated with medicine and therapy but exercising in a natural setting can help, although green space exercise is not a substitute for medication or therapy.
Urban areas are not known to have luscious green space, but research has shown that incorporating green spaces in urban areas reduces the prevalence of mental health disorders. Incorporating gardens or trees encourages outdoor activities and being in the presence of nature reduces mental fatigue and has positive effects on mood.
Humans have spent most of our history in a natural setting, it wasn't until the Industrial era where urban cities emerged. Our ancestors would have had a need to be connected to nature to survive, find food, water, and shelter. Being connected with nature is a necessity as it still remains in our modern psychology.
Beneficial Physical Activity
Not all physical activity needs to be strenuous, it can also be leisure based. Leisure based physical activity includes walking, hiking, cycling, and swimming. Leisure activities in a natural setting that include other people increases the likelihood to create a support group that can have positive mental health effects.
Self-Esteem
Research done by Professor J. Pretty show that improvements can occur for self-esteem and mood disorders through green exercise, with men having higher self-esteem to begin with. Pretty states that there is a need to engage in regular participation in green exercise activities as they are important in battling mood disorders. Pretty also promotes green exercise with no limitations in type, duration, or intensity as they all provide benefits to mental health. Even in healthy populations, regular green exercise promotes good self-esteem and reduces the effects of mood disturbances.
Hiking: A Connectedness To Nature
Cool Hiking Spots:
Grand Canyon
Red Rock
Sequoia
Zion
Hiking is one of the best ways to perform green exercise. Hiking is an activity that can be anywhere from taking a stroll through a trail or a strenuous activity such as climbing a mountain. Hiking is a great way to be connected to nature because it has many beautiful sights and the presence of nature encompasses you. It is a fun activity that can be done with friends or alone anywhere in the world. Hiking also has benefits for mood disorders by reducing anxiety and depression.
Nature contact through hiking raises awareness to global warming. Those who are connected to nature feel a responsibility of maintaining its beauty so that it can be enjoyed for many more generations.
References
Capaldi, C. A., Dopko, R. L., Zelenski, J. M., Marc, G. B., Unsworth, S., & Sullivan, W. (2014). The relationship between nature connectedness and happiness: A meta-analysis. Frontiers in Psychology, 5 doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00976
Pretty, J., Peacock, J., Hine, R., Sellens, M., South, N., & Griffin, M. (2007). Green exercise in the UK countryside: Effects on health and psychological well-being, and implications for policy and planning. Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, 50(2), 211-231. doi:10.1080/09640560601156466