Like everybody, I have times when I get stressed and overwhelmed. Life can feel a bit like a crazy cycle of ongoing busyness and we sometimes just want to run away. Running away from work and family isn’t generally a practical option, so it’s important to look at ways we can escape the rat race for a bit. Most of us live in urban settings and both we and our children spend hours using technology for both work, study and leisure. Our lives seem to be full of light, noise and constant distraction and we are becoming increasingly disconnected from our natural world. No wonder we feel like escaping!
One of my favourite ways of de-stressing, is to get out and go for a walk. Walking along the water’s edge, along a bush track or in a park. I need to get out into nature and I feel calmer almost right away. Since I love the outdoors and know the effect it has on me, I’ve become very interested in the idea of “wilderness therapy”. It’s gaining recognition in the mental health field and is often used with troubled teenagers. The idea behind it is to help teens to establish competencies for living outdoors, challenging them physically and emotionally, provide a place for reflection and insight as well as providing a reprieve from regular life busyness and stress. Some of the known health promoting effects of interacting with natural environments include a reduction in stress, improved illness recovery and improved well-being.
I’ve always believed that prevention is better than cure, so urge parents to consider ways that they might encourage their children to enjoy the outdoors. First and foremost, we have to be the ones to organize it and go with them. It’s not necessary to have a lot of expensive equipment to get our kids outside. We might take them out to watch a sunset or view a full moon rising over the sea. We have no shortage of places to enjoy the outdoors in South-east Queensland. If you need some inspiration head over to the Visit Moreton Bay Region website https://www.visitmoretonbayregion.com.au/see-and-do/cat/on-a-budget
I am seeing increasing numbers of young people with serious technology addictions. As parents, it’s up to us to do what we can to avoid our children developing these problems. Getting them outside and off technology can help, and isn’t always easy. I do recall a time several years ago, we’d decided to go up to Rainbow Beach for a few days. One of our teens did not want to go and made this very clear for most of the trip up there. I thought we were all in for a miserable time, however, once she arrived, she had a wonderful time. We didn’t have much money so organized all our own activities and had a great time as a family.
The September holidays are often a great time to get outdoors. Usually the weather’s fine and not too hot yet. Can I encourage you to take some time out with your family and spend some time together outside? You and your children’s physical, emotional and spiritual health will all benefit.
https://scoutingmagazine.org/2017/10/rewards-introducing-kids-wilderness/
https://thebigoutside.com/category/family-adventures/ (An American site, but has some good ideas)
