Rise Above Depression (2 of 5)
The 2nd self-empowering way to lift your mood naturally without drugs or therapy
Last week we looked at the practice of gratitude as a jumping off point to feeling good. Simple and accessible, regularly expressing gratitude arguably packs the biggest punch in overcoming depression than anything else available to you. Read about that here.
Although this series is aimed at helping you lift out of a depressed mood naturally using easily-accessible resources within and around you, it should be noted that these tips can be equally applied when you are dealing with stress, anxiety, fatigue, lethargy, lack of motivation, foggy thinking, and trouble focusing. Mood and energy problems are almost ubiquitous these days, but Nature is here to assist!
Some have said that everything that humans need to be healthy and to thrive can be found in nature - we just need to see it, know it, do it, and believe it. So the second tip I offer you to rise above depression is….
#2 – SPEND TIME IN NATURE
The many aspects of nature that nourish and balance the human body and mind are seemingly limitless. I’ll just touch on some of the basics here.
Light
Natural light – whether it be sunlight or just daylight on a cloudy day – stimulates receptors in your eyes which interact directly with multiple parts of your brain including your hypothalamus and your pineal glands.
Your hypothalamus acts as a master gland, orchestrating signals to all the other glands in your body which control hormones, immune and inflammation regulators, and neurotransmitters.
The pineal gland, deep in the brain, regulates your daily and seasonal rhythms, modulating your sleep/wake cycle and helping your energy level. You may have noticed that you have varying energy levels depending on the season - this isn’t an accident. Just like a daily cycle of wakefulness and rest, we are intended to follow an annual cycle too by spending the winter months shoring up our energy reserves for extended use during the active summer months.
The pineal gland is also considered to be the third eye and a gateway to spirituality. It contains rods and cones just like the retina of your eyes, allowing you to “see” into spiritual realms through visualization and meditation. Being more spiritually open and connected is associated with better mental clarity, higher intuition, and an increased sense of happiness and purpose.
Natural, full spectrum light is essential to orchestrate the vast cascade of molecules that flow through your body each day affecting everything from mood, hunger, body temperature, energy, immunity, and more.
Sunlight on your skin also activates vitamin D production. Vitamin D is essential to a healthy functioning nervous system, including in the brain where it positively impacts mood, cognition, and concentration.
Natural light exposure is ideal in the morning hours, but still effective any time of day. Sunlight needs to touch your skin to make Vitamin D. Luckily vitamin D can be stored in your body for weeks to carry you through the darker winter season when the opportunity for sun exposure is more sporadic.
Sunrise and the first morning light are especially magical when it comes to your mood and energy. The simple act of going outside to absorb the first early morning light, whether you see the actual sun rising or not, can do wonders for your health, well-being and happiness. Exposure to bright light early in the day can improve sleep, reduce anxiety, clear brain fog and even reduce the risk of developing chronic metabolic diseases like diabetes or obesity.
Commit to 90 days of setting your alarm to go outside right before sunrise every morning. Stay out for as long as you can, but aim for at least 10 minutes. If you can see the sun rise over the horizon, so much the better, but know that it isn’t necessary. If your view is blocked by buildings or trees, that’s OK. If it’s cloudy or raining, that’s OK. The daybreak light frequencies are still present and will impact you positively.
Ions & Electrons
Standing barefoot on the ground, lying directly on the earth, sitting near a waterfall, or standing near ocean waves all allow negatively charged ions to enter your body. Negative ions are in air and soil and are absorbed by the skin. These electron-rich molecules boost your serotonin levels, improving mood, alertness, anxiety, and depression.
Being surrounded by green foliage reduces the amount of the stress hormone cortisol in your body. The sounds, colors, and light found in a natural setting also calm and restore your autonomic nervous system by shifting you out of sympathetic mode (fight, flight, or freeze) and into parasympathetic mode (rest, digest, and repair).
By being in nature, you are balancing your adrenal stress response, calming your nervous system, aiding your melatonin production for sleep, producing vitamin D, and opening yourself to more spiritual clarity.
All the Senses
Getting out into nature can be as simple as sitting in your backyard during a break from work or as immersive as going on a weeklong camping trip into the back country. And everything in between.
Put your hands in the soil. Hug a tree. Pick a flower. Smell some crumpled leaves. Walk barefoot in the grass. Lie on the ground. Jump over waves. Climb on rocks. Stand in the spray of a waterfall. Bathe in rivers and lakes. Gaze up at the clouds or stars. Moon bathe. Talk to the squirrels and birds. Let the rain soak you. Just immerse yourself in whatever nature is around you!
The key is to notice the natural world around you. Note the various colors of the plants, water, and sky. Listen to the sounds of insects, birds, water, or wind. Watch any animals or insects engaged in their unique activities. Observe the movement of the clouds, the light and shadow interplay, the shapes of the many different types of trees or flowers or rocks, the smell of the soil and plants, and the feel of the sun and breeze on your face.
Even if you don’t consciously pay attention to everything that your senses are picking up, trust that you are absorbing all of those sensations and information. Your body is like an antenna and when attuned to nature, it will receive the energetic frequency of those natural rhythms and respond with surges of feel-good emotions.
The Earth and her elements hold powerful energy. By connecting with it and immersing yourself in it, you are able to resonate with it. This natural resonance helps you maintain a good mood and a positive mindset.
Your challenge going forward is to get out into a natural setting for at least 30 minutes each day and to be outside at sunrise as for at least 10 minutes each morning.
Have you been practicing gratitude this past week? Let me know how it’s going for you in the comments below.
The next installment in the “Rise Above Depression” series will feature movement. If there ever were a panacea for preventing or treating almost every illness known to humankind, it might just be exercise! See you next week.