Challenge Plus
Push your limits further than ever with Go Ape's newest and most demanding high ropes adventure. Available at Cockfosters, Sherwood Pines and Thetford.
- 2 - 3 hours
- £40
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Ways to Boost Your Mental Health from The Forest Experts
Published on: 08/05/2024
Mental Health Awareness Week is an annual event organised by The Mental Health Foundation to tackle stigma and help people understand their and others’ mental health.
This year Mental Health Awareness Week takes place between the 13th-19th May and the theme is 'Moving more for mental health’. Keeping fit and active is crucial for our mental health but so many of us don’t manage to make the time in amongst our busy lives.
As strong believers in the power of movement in nature to boost mental health, we want to encourage you to get moving this Mental Health Awareness Week (and beyond). Here’s why!
Nature and Physical Activity: A Mental Health Booster
Spending time in nature, whether it's walking through the forest, hiking up a mountain, or zipping through the trees on a Go Ape adventure, can have tremendous mental health benefits. Activities outdoors help reduce stress, improve our mood, and increase overall happiness.
Each of our forest adventures offer a unique opportunity to connect with nature, challenge yourself, and experience the mental health benefits that come from spending time in the great outdoors.
5 ways to add movement to your daily routine
Go for a Walk
Something as simple as a half hour walk each day can have such a huge impact on your mental health. It can be also a great way to explore your local area, get to know it better and watch it transform throughout the year.
Plan an Adventure with Friends
What’s the next outdoor adventure on your list? Don’t just imagine it, start planning it! Round up your group and have some active fun in the great outdoors, an adventure shared is the fun doubled.
Check out our Go Ape blog for some adventure inspiration.
Get Gardening
Whether you have a garden which is bursting with life, a mini forest of weeds or something in between, now’s the time to make your green space flourish. Gardening is great for your mental health reducing stress levels, providing exercise opportunities and growing and eating your own produce can have a positive impact on your diet.
If you don’t have your own garden, don’t worry there are still ways to get your hands dirty (in the good way). Why not see if there is a community garden near you? This can be a great way to strengthen social and community connections.
Improve your Local Area
Nature is crucial for our mental health and it’s important to give back and help protect it. More and more our green spaces are getting filled with rubbish and pollution and doing something as simple as a litter pick can make such an impact.
Trash Free Trails is just one organisation who are reconnecting people with nature through the simple but meaningful method of removing single use plastic from wild places.
Here are some more ways to help your local authority protect nature.
Change Our Habits
So many of us become set in our daily routines: our schedules, commutes, work life and habits but it’s important to actively think and question the status quo. How could you change your routine and add more movement to your day?
It could be something as simple as developing your existing activities, like doing the shopping. Why not replace a car journey with cycle or walk or even get off the bus a few stops early.
Ever heard of Forest bathing?
Forest Bathing is an ancient Japanese practice also known as Shinrin Yoku. It is the simple practice of being calm and quiet in amongst nature and breathing deeply while observing your surroundings.
Taking your time and appreciating your surroundings engages all of your senses and can reduce stress to improve overall well-being.
Find out more about Forest Bathing.
Organisations Offering Mental Health Support
Movement and time spent outdoors are important for maintaining your mental health but it is also essential that we seek further help if needed. There are so many incredible organisations to reach out to if you need extra support. Here are just a few:
Samaritans
If you need someone to talk to the Samaritans will listen. They won't judge or tell you what to do. Whatever you're going through, you can call them any time, from any phone for free.
Mind
Mind is a mental health charity which provides advice and support to empower anyone experiencing a mental health problem.
Supported self-help is a free, 6-week guided programme provided by Mind. They give you the materials to understand and manage your feelings as well as calling regularly to support you.
You can also contact Mind via their helplines for further support.
NHS
If you need urgent help for your mental health, you can contact NHS 111 online or call 111.
Outdoor Organisations Supporting Mental Health
There are also loads of incredible charities which help people with Mental Health issues directly through outdoor programmes. To name just a few, Explorers Connect, Head Outdoors, Mind Over Mountains and Blackdog Outdoors are all fantastic organisations.
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