If you constantly feel anxious about your life, job, or family life, even with therapy, find additional ways to clear your mind. Anxiety disorders are some of the most debilitating and common mental disorders today. Along with your regular therapy or treatment, you can work toward easing your anxiety with nature. Here's how nature can potentially help you get through your anxiety.
How Do Anxiety Disorders Affect You?
According to the National Institute of Health, several types of anxiety disorders exist today, including panic disorder and generalized anxiety disorder. Each type of anxiety disorder can affect your well-being, peace of mind, and life. Although the symptoms can vary for each type of disorder, worry and stress are two of the symptoms they have in common.
When you worry about something, you place all of your energy and focus on it. You may constantly worry about your children, job duties, or health state, even when nothing is wrong with them. If you worry too much about your life, you can develop stress. Stress can complicate your health by raising your blood pressure and blood sugar.
If you see a therapist for your anxious disorder, they may place you on medications to help control your symptoms. However, medications may not be enough to control your symptoms. You may need to spend some time with nature to help control your anxious feelings.
How Can Nature Help You?
Natural settings, such as nature parks and community parks, may help you relax during your time of need. Spending time outdoors or in a natural environment can help lower your blood pressure and cortisol levels. Cortisol is the hormone that controls how you and your body respond to stress and anxiety. These types of parks may give you a chance to walk or exercise your anxious feelings away.
Natural parks often feature trails you can hike or walk during your visit. The trails may also allow you to refocus your mind. Some people enjoy walking or hiking on nature trails because it allows them to see different animals and plants.
Before you visit a nature or community park, clear it with your therapist or doctor first. Depending on the type of anxiety disorder you have, you may need to take precautions if you choose to walk, hike, or do another type of exercise during your nature or community park visit.
Once you clear it with your therapist or doctor, contact a recreation and sports specialist for more information regarding the best nature or community parks near you.
Share2 April 2018
Although many people love getting outside and doing fun things together as a group, each recreational activity comes along with its own list of risks, which is why you have to know how to stay safe. I started focusing more on staying safe during outdoor events after I had kids, and I honestly feel like a few of those precautions have protected my kids from what could have been seriously dangerous events. Check out this website for great information on enjoying different recreational activities while staying safe and sound. You won't believe how much of a difference a few simple safety precautions can make.