What Are You Waiting For? Get Outdoors to Improve Your Mental Health!

Herons on the Water by Ali Nicole

The fresh air, the soothing breeze, the vibrant colors and deep textures, all buzzing with life. That’s what I enjoyed over a long weekend as I made my way outdoors to explore local nature trails for healing and tranquility. I want to share with you the benefits to mental health I found there.

If you follow this blog on Instagram, you might have seen this article coming as I’ve posted multiple pictures from my walks already. Indeed, I found it so inspiring and beautiful I had to share it with you! I feel it’s also worth exploring the mental health benefits of being outside in nature.

The Mental Health Benefits I Found In Nature Walks

Joy – The biggest benefit that stands out is the joy I got from my time outside. It’s difficult not to smile and revel in the art in nature. I saw brilliantly colored wildflowers, expansive spider webs wet with dew, and wildlife at peace in safe habitats. Joy is temporary because it is an emotion but it is something you can seek out in experiences such as this!

Relaxation and stress reduction – There is no hurry out on the trails. While you can benefit from the physical activity, that’s not the primary objective. It can be, but you can also just allow nature to be a place to breathe like I did. Take your time meandering and devouring the sites.

Self-esteem boost – This was unexpected, but I felt like a priestess of the Earth as I connected with nature. Although I was in my yoga getup and sneakers, I look back envisioning myself as the gothic goddess at my core spirit. Try going out on a beautiful, lush nature trail and not feel like the lady of the lake. I don’t believe it can be done.

Clear mind – The ability to feel present and aware in the moment has never been stronger than in the moments I’m exploring wooded trails. In fact, the experience is perfect for practicing mindfulness because it’s so simple to put your mind solely on the beauty in front of you. Where I go, there tends to be a lot of tree roots protruding from the ground, so I had to be extra aware so as not to fall!

Companionship – You can choose to go with others or on your own (safety precautions taken, of course), but from my experience I enjoying the trails most with others. Sharing the experience reduces feelings of isolation and gives an extra set of eyes and point of view. What you miss, a companion can highlight for you.

If you’ve read the rest of the blog, you know I had to do some research to see if there was empirical support for what I was experiencing.

I found a bevy of information from an article on the MentalHealth Benefits of the Outdoors. Reduced stress and increased joy are major benefits, just as I felt. Better concentration and attention are also indicated, which I consider parts of a clear mind.  Additionally, according to a 2005 study, mixing the outdoors with exercise has been shown to boost self-esteem as well when the setting is eye-pleasing. You may already know from my previous article on exercise, that physical activity can reduce loneliness because it tends puts you in contact with other—moving outdoors fits into this as well.

What benefits can you find in the outdoors? Embrace your inner weirdo and step into the skin of the Earthen god or goddess you’ve always wanted to be. Find your own mental health benefits exploring outside.
 

Works Cited

“Exercise and Mental Health.” Healthdirect, www.healthdirect.gov.au/exercise-and-mental-health.

McMichael, Sarah. “Mental Health Benefits of Spending Time in Nature.” Ontario Parks, 23 Apr. 2019, www.ontarioparks.com/parksblog/mental-health-benefits-outdoors/.

Pretty, J, et al. “The Mental and Physical Health Outcomes of Green Exercise.” International Journal of Environmental Health Research, vol. 15, no. 5, Oct. 2005, pp. 319–337. The National Center for Biotechnology Information, doi:10.1080/09603120500155963.

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3 Ways Looking Good Feels Good

A few months ago, back when it was still cold where I’m from, I committed myself to re-connecting with my sense of style. Working to pay grad school out of pocket and save to (finally) buy a house, I kept my shopping limited. Most of my work attire came from thrift stores and sales racks. Not that I didn’t amass an excellent wardrobe. Nothing of the sort! It’s just, well, it was an excellent wardrobe for someone else. I focused on finding something presentable and cheap, not something that fit the me I am inside.

Inside, I was still that eight year old misfit watching The Craft and dreaming of one day looking just like Fairuza Balk’s Nancy. Minimal spending and professional work environments had all but crushed the dark goth soul in me. I looked and felt normal. It simply wouldn’t do, and so I redeveloped my winter wardrobe to be both professional and fulfilling. I looked and felt great.

Then along comes the warm winds of summertime to cast a balmy cloud.

My breezy apparel has taken me back to feeling dull. I’m fighting with the closet once more and spending too much time sneering at my drawers. It’s got me thinking about the impact of appearance on mindset. I definitely know it’s powerful or else I wouldn’t have been obsessed with goth dress and culture for these past 20 plus years.

But what exactly is the connection between looking good and feeling good?

It changes how you think

In a 2015 study entitled, “The Cognitive Consequences of Formal Clothing,” researchers found a potential link between wearing formal clothing and an increase in abstract processing. Abstract processing, rather than concrete, is more closely connected with long-term decision making. The conclusion of this impacts how people interact socially due to a perceived distance, leading to what one might interpret as more thoughtful, creative, or polite interactions. A feeling of power may also play a factor. Application of this to real life is not fully addressed as the sample size was small but the promise of the work does suggest that the way we dress can influence our interactions and, thereby, our outcomes which can be mood (and life) changing.

For more information, this article breaks it down.

It impacts others’ responses

Certainly, the opinions of others’ shouldn’t frequently be a major deciding factor in how we care for ourselves. However, humans are social animals and others’ opinions do affect us in many areas. Working off of previous research suggesting that people make quick judgments of others based on non-verbal cues, researchers studied the interaction of posture and clothing on perceptions. In the 2016 article, it was found that a mixture of being smartly dressed and adopting strong or neutral posture developed positive impression of competency. The potential impact of getting positive feedback at work or in a pastime based upon how your dressing could have influence on mood and self-image.

It defines specific characteristics

Karen Pine, author of Mind What You Wear: The Psychology of Fashion, asserts in her book that people take on the characteristics associated with the clothes they wear. Consider how you hold your posture, sit, and walk going from jeans and a t-shirt to formal wear. Put on a nurse’s uniform and level of caring may increase because the outfit is associated with the helping profession. The same goes for sexy clothing, costumes, and our personal style. Essentially, dress the way you want to feel.

When I put on clothes that look dark, gloomy and elegant, I feel like I’m that powerful and mysterious outsider that I associate with my experience of goth culture.

From a research perspective, there are at least three ways your appearance can impact how you feel about yourself and your experiences. From a human perspective, I see the role fashion and dress plays in our lives daily. It is obvious that the reason I put on my mustard sheath dress for interviews is because I know the psychology of the color and association with the cut will have a positive impact on how I will be viewed and that gives me confidence. I recognize I don’t wear it from then on because it doesn’t fit my self-concept, for example.

Speaking of self-concept, I just want to touch on dress and the transgender community. Gender affirmation is also a powerful factor of wellness influenced and it can be greatly influenced by dress. It’s great to feel good in what you’re wearing but it’s even greater to feel like yourself in what you are wearing. To all the folks out there working to feel affirmed and complete as the gender they identify with, I see you and I support you in being yourself. Remember: It Gets Better, so hold on to your Pride.

Works Cited

Gurney, Daniel J., et al. “Dressing up Posture: The Interactive Effects of Posture and Clothing on Competency Judgements.” British Journal of Psychology, vol. 108, no. 2, 6 July 2016, pp. 436–451. ResearchGate, doi:10.1111/bjop.12209.

“It Gets Better.” It Gets Better, itgetsbetter.org/.

Pine, Karen J. Mind What You Wear: The Psychology of Fashion. Amazon Singles, 2014.

“PRIDE.com.” Gay Pride - LGBT & Queer Voices, www.pride.com/.

Slepian, Michael L., et al. “The Cognitive Consequences of Formal Clothing.” Social Psychological and Personality Science, vol. 6, no. 6, 2015, pp. 661–668. ResearchGate, doi:10.1177/1948550615579462.

Fleming, Andrew, director. The Craft. Columbia Pictures, 1996.

“When Clothing Style Influences Cognitive Style.” Association for Psychological Science, 8 May 2015, www.psychologicalscience.org/news/minds-business/when-clothing-style-influences-cognitive-style.html#.WTmBucaZNBw.

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