EcoTherapy Vs TellyTherapy
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Time for a Walk to Help Beat the Blues?
I was reading this week of an emerging therapy referred too as EcoTherapy.
At its core, EcoTherapy uses nature as its active ingredient to help treat mental health issues and improve mental wellbeing. Research has shown that in many cases, EcoTherapy is as effective in treating depression as mainstream antidepressants.
The UK based mental health charity Mind conducted a study where they found that 90% of people enjoyed an increased level of self-esteem after just one walk in the countryside and 71% reported decreased feelings of depression.
I also read this week of a study that reached this conclusion:
‘Television exposure and total media exposure in adolescence are associated with increased odds of depressive symptoms in young adulthood, especially in young men.’
So, EcoTherapy Vs TellyTherapy – you decide?
If you are feeling a little blue this January with the thought of getting back to work after the Christmas break or maybe you are one of the 1 in 4 Brits that suffer from a mental health issue, it could be time to switch off the box and get those walking boots on?
Here are some other activities that come under the EcoTherapy banner:
- Community horticultural and agricultural projects
- Walking and rambling groups
- Wildlife habitat or other site creation or renovation
- Clearing open spaces for community use
- Graffiti removal projects
- Environmental protection (such as rebuilding a flood plain)
- Creating or renovating urban green areas (such as ‘Adopt-a-Space’ schemes whereby a group adopts, maintains, improves, and makes accessible a specific location)
- Installing signposts to encourage community environmental awareness (such as clear signs in the countryside for ramblers)
- Recycling projects, such as furniture, glass, and white goods (for example, reclaiming discarded furniture and doing it up to sell)
- Community agricultural projects linking gardeners and producers with local selling opportunities
- Producing artwork in public places and in enclosed spaces (for example, mosaics in parks, sculpture in hospitals)
- Exchange schemes giving opportunities to experience and learn about other environments and community activity
- Learning new environmental skills (such as making garden furniture, dry stonewalling, thatching)
For more information on EcoTherapy and EcoMinds visit http://www.mind.org.uk/ecominds
What are your views? Please post them below…
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Having got rid of my television two years ago I heartily concur. Relationships are bettter, mental health is better. I have just taken up running (withe the eco bloke) – seeing him puff and pant has also done me good!
Hey Mister… I am not sure that it is always me that is doing the puffing and panting! I would be keep to know how you tackled the subject of getting rid of the TV with other family members? Were they all on side or did it take some time to talk them round?
I haven’t read the report but surely it is all about having a happy medium( sorry for the pun!)The conclusion of the study taken on its own is very mis-leading
Tele in itself is not some evil device, there are many informative interesting programmes to be viewed.Some parents of course allow their children to watch tele or go on the computer for umpteen hours and this must be harmful for the mental and physical development of any child
For the adult a combination of tele, radio, exercise, reading, work and social activities etc will help make the well rounded person ( no pun intended!)
A work life balance is vital.
Great post, EcoBloke!
Your readers might like to know that now there is a new book on Ecotherapy from Sierra Club Books called “Ecotherapy: Healing with Nature in Mind.” More info at http://www.ecotherapyheals.com
There is also a free web-based association called International Association for Ecotherapy that publishes a free quarterly newsletter, Ecotherapy News.
Linda Buzzell
Hello Linda,
Thanks for the comment!
I am very interested in EcoTherapy and will be covering the topic more on the blog over the next few months.
In fact just today I spoke with someone from a local mental health charity about setting up a local ‘green gym’ for people with mental health issues.
This is something that is very close to my heart as it mixes three areas of my life past and present – the enviroment, my job as a therapist and the fact that I too have suffered from Depression in the past.
I was wondering about contacting your publisher for a review copy of your book so that I write a review and endorsement here for my readers. Would you be ok with that?
The local G.P’s used to offer people with certain mental health issues free passes to The Leisure Centre in Witney.
Let me put a plug in for walking as a prophylactic. It is good for ones physical and mental health. Perhaps not giving as great a concentration of endorphins per kilometre as running but enough on a brisk walk to do a lot of good.
My perfect walk?
A ten miler in the Cotswolds with friends with a pub lunch and a few beers. Great company guaranteed to help improve ones mental state.
This is fantastic! I am a Mountain Leader in the Alps and it is amazing to see how people change in nature, even after just one day out on the trails. Being an anthropologist I am fascinated to see the effects being outside can have. It is so simple it is almost sad! But I’ll go romp in the fresh snow instead of thinking that!!!
Good & interesting info! Thanks
Pleasure… Thanks for posting!
I’m almost chuckling at the idea of ecotherapy, not because I don’t think it has enormous merit, but rather that our culture has become so electronic that we need to be reminded about the grounding power of actually living on the planet.
I totally agree Bill. Life has become so artificial and sterile. No wonder mental health issues are on the increase.