NoPanic

Tag: walking

  • How Walking Helped Decrease Anxiety

    By Amy Moore, Content Team Contributor

     For a long time, exercise was always something that I shied away from doing. It was never something that I enjoyed, and it constantly felt like a chore that I had to participate in. I was always the slowest in school PE classes and swimming, the one sport I could do, unfortunately, became something that felt impossible to do when I began having daily panic attacks. Swimming pools felt so claustrophobic, and my biggest fear was having a panic attack in the centre of a pool and being unable to get out. So I simply stopped doing it. As soon as PE became optional instead of compulsory at school, I stopped doing that, too, and suddenly exercise became virtually non-existent in my life.

     So many people told me that exercise would help me feel better. They said that it would give me something to get up for on days when I refused to get out of bed. At the time, it was hard enough to even go downstairs in my house, so the idea of exercise was the last thing I wanted to think about. And I also just did not want to believe it because it was always something that I had struggled with and had never typically enjoyed. It was actually lockdown which changed my mindset drastically. Suddenly the hour walk we were allowed each day was my saving grace and it became the best part of my day.

     I am here to tell you that actually, those people were correct, and actually, exercise has greatly reduced my daily anxiety. Walking, in particular, is something that I try to make sure I do every day now. There is just something about walking in the fresh air, even if it’s just for twenty minutes, which immediately calms me. I tend to walk at my own pace, often with my dog, in the morning before my day starts and it’s safe to say that I have noticed a huge decrease in my own stress and anxiety.

     I am a person who also gets very anxious about social events, and so I have incorporated walking into my way of dealing with this anxiety, too. I will now purposely park at least ten minutes away from where I need to be so that I can take that time to walk and calm myself down before having to be sociable. I always found that if my anxiety levels were high when entering somewhere busy, then it would be much harder to try and calm down, often leading to panic attacks where I would feel like I needed to leave early. Incorporating a walk into these things has become a way of me taking back control of my own emotions before having to enter a potentially uncomfortable situation.

     I have also found that walking can also be a sociable occasion. Throughout my teenage years, I held a lot of guilt and anger over how I felt anxiety was holding me back from seeing my friends, and I truly felt as though there was no way of getting out of the hold that it had on me. But, as my friends and I have got older and our lives have become busier, walking together has become our way of catching up (it also helps that we forget we’re also doing exercise!) and we usually incorporate a coffee stop somewhere on route, too.

     Within a couple of years, I have gone from someone who despised any form of exercise, overthinking the way that I walk or worried that people would be judging me for walking too slowly, to someone who genuinely credits walking as a crucial aspect of decreasing panic attacks, anxiety, and stress. It has become something that I genuinely enjoy, and I really wish that I had listened to those people who told me years ago that exercise would help my mental health. Every person has different ways of coping with anxiety and panic attacks, but exercise has truly been something that has helped me immensely.

  • What are the Benefits of Walk and Talk Therapy?

    Jennifer Roblin, Better Your Life

    Walk and talk therapy, often known as outdoor therapy or eco-therapy, is an alternative approach to traditional therapy. It offers multiple benefits for people who struggle with anxiety, stress and panic attacks.

    Walk and talk therapy offers all the same advantages of traditional talking therapy alongside the additional healing power of nature and exercise. Therefore it provides a unique and effective way to support people in improving their mental well-being.

    For those who are anxious about traditional therapy settings, walk and talk therapy can be less intimidating. The natural environment creates a more relaxed atmosphere, making people feel less pressured or self-conscious.

    So what are the benefits?

    No direct eye contact

    One of the biggest advantages for someone struggling with anxiety is that there is no need for direct eye contact. This immediately puts clients at ease and enables them to open up about their challenges sooner. 

    From experience I have found that walking side by side in a natural environment enables clients to reflect faster and deeper on their challenge. 

    This results in us uncovering the real root cause of their anxiety quicker, and leads them to their solution or breakthrough sooner.

    Physical Activity

    Many people also find it easier to open up and express themselves while engaging in a physical activity, which can be particularly valuable for clients who may feel apprehensive or guarded in a traditional therapy setting. 

    Regular exercise is known to release endorphins, they are the body’s natural mood elevators. By engaging in a walk and talk therapy session, clients not only have the opportunity to discuss their concerns but also benefit from the mood-enhancing effects of physical activity. This can lead to a more positive and optimistic outlook on life.

    During exercise it is proven that your breathing deepens and the increased oxygen crates a calmer state of mind, therefore making the client more relaxed, and presents the ability to think more clearly.

    Another key benefit of walk and talk therapy is that when clients are walking, their posture is more upright and this allows them to look at their challenges from a different perspective. It is no secret that someone who is depressed tends to walk with their head down and shoulders rounded. Their pace is slow. 

    With walk and talk therapy, your therapist can lead you to change your body posture to a more upright position and pace. This doesn’t mean that you are walking fast, just more confident and purposeful.

    Natural Environment

    Instead of sitting in a traditional therapy office, clients have their sessions while walking outdoors, often in a park, forest, beside water or across fields. They are immersed in nature. 

    This change in environment can have a profound positive impact on the therapy session, as they are immediately in a calming place which reduces their anxiety and stress levels.

    It is far easier to be mindful and present in the moment when you can hear the wind in the trees or listen to the birds sing. Mindfulness is scientifically proven to calm the mind, and enables clients to look at their challenges with a different perspective.

    There is also the opportunity to increase exposure to Vitamin D, known as the “sunshine vitamin”. In as little as 10  minutes, spending time outdoors can improve your mood and mental wellbeing, alongside supporting bone health and increasing immunity, helping your body fight off infection and illnesses. 

    Flexibility

    Clients can choose a location that is convenient and resonates with them, whether it’s a local park, a woodland area, or a riverside path. This personalisation allows clients to feel more in control of their therapy experience, which can be empowering and motivating.

    Clients can also return to that place at anytime they choose, knowing it has been a safe and comforting place for them. This opportunity, of course, is not possible when they have visited a traditional therapy setting. With traditional therapy, they have to wait until their next session before they can immerse themselves back into that safe space.

    Walk and talk therapy encourages a work-life balance. Many individuals find it challenging to make time for therapy in their busy schedules. By incorporating therapy into a walk, clients can seamlessly integrate self-care into their daily routine, making it a more sustainable practice.

    Deeper Connection and Trust

    Walking side by side with a therapist encourages a stronger sense of connection and trust, as walking with a friend is far more comfortable and familiar for most people than being in a traditional therapy setting.

    This heightened sense of connection and trust can lead to a more productive therapy session and increased progress with managing their anxiety.

    A New Therapeutic Experience

    Walk and talk therapy provides a change from the usual therapy routine. It breaks the monotony of sitting in an office and offers an active and refreshing experience. 

    Clients that have found therapy not working for them in the past often look forward to their walk and talk sessions, knowing that they will be able to enjoy the outdoors while working on their mental health.

    Walk and talk therapy offers a unique and valuable approach to addressing anxiety and other mental health concerns. It combines the benefits of nature, physical activity, and therapy to create a holistic and effective treatment option. 

    The ability to tailor sessions to individual preferences and the positive impact of the natural environment makes this therapy an excellent choice for those seeking a more relaxed and innovative path to mental well-being.