Right? “Go outside!” AND THEN DO WHAT, MOTHERFUCKER? Just be depressed outside??
People have this weird idea that because they like being outside, that it must be some sort of cure-all for depression. They also seem to think that being sad is the same as depression.
Seeing green spaces does have an impact on our ability to self regulate, which is helpful for both sadness and depression, but the advice is not formulated well. I have adhd, so my version would be “make getting outside the most important thing, guilt yourself for hours, force yourself finally, then go for an aimless three hour walk that does actually really help with eating and sleeping regularly, then build from there.” That’s obviously fucking nuts to say to someone else, so people say go outside instead
I didn’t mean to imply that it can’t be helpful, just that it isn’t just that simple for a lot of people. Same as most other not incredibly helpful suggestions like “go hang out with some friends” “see a movie” or “go to the bar” when (in my case) part of the problem was explicitly not being able to do those things for one reason or another.
Set yourself a goal for some place to walk, could be a park, a lake, a gas station, doesn’t matter. The most important thing is that it takes you a reasonable amount of time to get there and back again (preferably at least an hour). You can listen to music or a podcast or an audiobook while you walk if you want to.
The point is that your body responds positively to a lot of different stimuli:
- moving
- open spaces
- natural light
- green things
Among others. You don’t have to do “anything specific” in order to get those stimuli and get your endorphins flowing. Once that happens, people typically start feeling happier, and get more of a desire to do other things, making it easier to do more cool things.
Go to a park. Look at some trees. So tall and wavy. Go up and touch their bark. Heck, why not climb up a bit? Climb all the way to the top. Take off your clothes and make a nest of leaves in the nook of a high branch. It is your tree now, nobody can take it away from you. Let loose a loud screech of “ook ook” to let everyone know.
Once that happens, people typically start feeling happier, and get more of a desire to do other things, making it easier to do more cool things.
You overestimate my power!
Haha, I hope not :)
Joke aside though: I understand that what I’m outlining isn’t some magic “fix all”, and that some people are in a situation where even getting out of their chair/bed and moving to the door is an accomplishment. I’m afraid those people need more help than I can give, and I wish them the best of luck.
However, for those that can get just a litte movement outside, it’s been shown that doing so helps. My point is that you don’t need anything specific to do outside. Once you set the goal of just being outside, moving and breathing, the “things to do” will come more naturally. The most important part is getting started by trying to accomplish something like walking around the block, and take things one step at a time.
I have bad joints, man. A walk isn’t as relaxing when you’ve got the knees of an old man. Especially not when everything in both directions of your house is, quite literally, uphill both ways 😭
Ouff, I’m sorry about your knees… I don’t know if biking is any better either then? Otherwise, as others have said, it can be nice to just sit outside and read a book, or just lie down, look at the sky, and listen to something for an hour.
It’s just that being inside in one place all the time, constantly looking at the same screen, is bad for us. Evolution has built us for more varied stimulus than that, and pretty much anything that breaks it up is probably better than nothing. Wish you well :)
