It was a beautiful eighty-degree day outside.
I woke up, rolled out of bed, and drove down to the marina. My buddy’s boat was docked there. The sun was shining, the birds were chirping, and my friends and I were about to head out for a morning of sailing.
This scenario sounds like the ideal Saturday morning, right?
Well, for me, it was far from it.
That morning was one of the most miserable of my entire life. I had a pit in my stomach; obsessive thoughts; and little to no motivation or excitement.
Why?
Because I was struggling with a major bout of depression.
In fact, that entire summer was the most depressed I had ever been in my entire life. My friends and family who saw me were worried. They knew I wasn’t myself.
It all started with a girl I had met, fallen in love with, and then realized it was not going to work out. For those of you who have never been through that, it’s heartbreaking.
That situation opened up a floodgate of emotions and negative thought patterns in which I had held deep inside for years related to my love life.
Those feelings grew and grew to the point of a major depressive episode.
DEALING WITH DEPRESSION
As you can imagine, my initial reaction to these obsessive thoughts and feelings was to hide or numb myself in some way. I began becoming more reclusive, or when I did go out, I was an absolute “Debbie downer” to be around.
I remember one of my friend’s new girlfriends at the time looking at me and saying, “You look miserable!”
Shit, I WAS miserable!
I could hardly even go an entire conversation without bringing up this girl and my love life. I was obsessed with her in every way.
But then, right in the middle of this depressed state that summer, my sister and her family went on a vacation, and this started an unexpected change.
Let me explain…
I told my sister that I would stay over to house-sit for her that week. I was living about an hour away from my family at the time, so coming in meant easier access to more restaurants, friends, family, and entertainment. Plus with my job it didn’t matter where I was staying. I was working remotely and traveling on my own schedule. This was certainly an advantage.
The mornings and days at my sister’s house were rough.
I would sit, stare at my computer screen, and think of this girl over and over again. There were times it was so bad that I would just walk over to my sister’s rocking chair, plop myself down, and stare into space.
I began writing in a journal that summer.
Journaling helped get all of my thoughts and emotions out in a healthy way. Funny enough, I recently texted this same girl and told her about the journal I had kept that summer. We’re now good friends, so it’s easy to reflect on that period of my life and see the lessons it taught me. But at the time, my heart was shattered.
IT STARTED WITH THE NIGHT SKY
I came back from meeting a few cousins out for dinner on the first night I was staying at my sister’s house.
There was a glow shining on the kitchen floor that lit up the entire room. The moon was out in full force that night.
Bright, haunting, beautiful.
I peered outside at it for a few moments before returning to my worries.
The next night when I came home was the same.
Then on the third night, I decided to go out into the backyard, grab a chair, and sit down.
The moon seemed incandescent, glowing so vividly.
I sat and took it all in; looking around at the night sky.
There were planes in the distance flying into the local airport. I enjoyed watching their lights change from far and distant, to bright and noticeable. I could hear the birds, the sound of the nearby pond, and passing cars.
The breeze felt so refreshing.
I took some deep breaths. And then I smiled.
That was probably the first time I had genuinely smiled in days.
Being outside, closer to nature, immersed in my outdoor surroundings, brought me more peace than anything else had to that point.
For a brief moment, I felt like me again.
GETTING OUT IN NATURE
I stuck with my nighttime routine of sitting outside for the rest of the summer.
This was the beginning of a turning point for me.
Slowly, I was unmasking the depression and coming out of that hellish state of being.
After my sister and her family returned from their vacation, I was still in bad shape, though. I was okay at night because of my new routine, but the days were still rough. I gained a tad more perspective and positive vibes from my nighttime sittings, but I needed something more.
An activity, outdoors that I could do during the day.
I remembered a hiking trail near my place that I had discovered by accident a year earlier. This trail was hidden, filled with wildlife, and right next to Lake Erie. One afternoon while sitting in my home office, depressed, downtrodden, and anxiety-riddled, a thought ran through my head. “Why don’t you go take a hike on that trail?”
This was an “Ah-ha” moment.
I got up, changed my clothes, drove the five minutes to the trail and began what would become my most cherished memory of that entire summer of misery.
That hiking trail became my second home.
Nearly every single day, sometimes twice a day, I would hike down its scenic trails. It was my sanctuary of comfort. While hiking, I would take in all the sights, sounds, smells, and emotions. The air smelled like heaven. I was in my safe space. Towards the end of each hike, I would end up at Lake Erie and sit on a bed of rocks for about a half-hour. This hike was a game-changer for me. I eventually started hiking other places, including local beaches and taking my nephew on hikes in parks and valleys.
At the time, I was unaware that hiking was having a physiological effect on my depression.
I just knew I felt better whenever I returned from the trail. But research has shown that being out in nature, whether in your backyard, a hiking trail, or the middle of a large national park, has a positive and brain-changing effect on anxiety and depression.
NATURE, WELLBEING, AND YOUR BRAIN
A Harvard article has highlighted that research is starting to show the effects of nature on the brain.
One of the growing scientific fields called Ecotherapy has revealed a strong connection between time spent in nature and reduced stress, anxiety, and depression.
According to the Harvard article, “In a 2015 study, researchers compared the brain activity of healthy people after they walked for 90 minutes in either a natural setting or an urban one. They found that those who did a nature walk had lower activity in the prefrontal cortex, a brain region that is active during rumination — defined as repetitive thoughts that focus on negative emotions.”
Dr. Jason Strauss, Director of Geriatric Psychiatry at Cambridge Health Alliance, a Harvard affiliate, explained that “When people are depressed or under high levels of stress, this part of the brain malfunctions and people experience a continuous loop of negative thoughts.”
Research has shown that interacting with natural spaces provides other therapeutic benefits.
For example, calming nature sounds and outdoor silence can lower both blood pressure and levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which in turn calms the body’s fight-or-flight response. Nature’s visual features can also have a soothing effect, according to Dr. Strauss. He states that “Having something pleasant to focus on like trees and greenery helps distract your mind from negative thinking, so your thoughts become less filled with worry.”
Another Stanford-led study shows quantifiable evidence that walking in nature could lead to a lower risk of depression.
Details of this study found that participants who walked for ninety minutes in “natural areas” outside of the urban setting of a city, had decreased activity in the region of the brain associated with a critical factor in depression.
I recommend doing some research on the topic of nature’s effects on the brain and on wellbeing. There is a plethora of information available.
You’ll be astounded at the connection.
THREE OUTDOOR RECOMMENDATIONS
Based on what worked for me that summer, below are three areas you can start using nature to help relieve your depression.
Hiking – Choose a hiking spot you feel comfortable with and one that you can physically do without injuring or harming yourself. You don’t need to hike Mt. Everest to get a good, quality brain-changing experience. I’ve hiked all sorts of places, including wooded backyards, forests, swamps, national parks, and beach boardwalks. I usually go anywhere from thirty minutes up to three hours depending on how much time I have. Use your common sense and do whatever works best for you.
Sitting Near Water – This can be a creek, river, pond, lake, or ocean as long as it’s a body of water. Choose whichever means is closest or most convenient for you. Each of them brings a different vibe, but all can be calming and mood-enhancing. If you want to add some extra mindfulness into the fold, pick out something near the body of water to focus your attention on and do this for ten minutes. This will focus your mind away from your anxiety and depression-inducing thoughts.
Standing Next To A Tree – This is another excellent mindfulness technique to try when you’re out and about in nature. Pick a tree, any tree, and stand next to it. Observe it, describe it, and bask in its glory. Try to describe any details of the tree from its coloration, height, width, to its smell, feel, and presence. Tree’s are one of mother nature’s “hidden in plain sight” heroes. They offer an ideal chance to view something in nature much more physically substantial than ourselves while being face to face and intimate.
IN REVIEW
- When I was depressed, I used nature to lessen my anxiety, calm my mind, and ease my pain.
- Nature is an easy, beautiful, and free way to cope and manage depression.
- Ecotherapy has revealed a strong connection between time spent in nature and reduced stress, anxiety, and depression.
- Some studies show quantifiable evidence that walking in nature could lead to a lower risk of depression
- Try hiking, sitting by a body of water, or standing next to a tree and see how you feel.
If you would like a free mindset coaching consultation – contact me at brad@upplifter.com!
Although we strive to provide accurate general information, the information presented here is not a substitute for any kind of professional advice, and you should not rely solely on this information. Always consult a professional in the medical and health area for your particular needs and circumstances prior to making any medical or health-related decisions. For your health-related questions, please seek the advice of a licensed physician or any other qualified health care provider immediately.
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