Natural ways to reduce anxiety – Part 5

A few years ago now, I moved to London and one of my concerns about moving to London was that I would loose easy access to open green spaces.  I have always found that walking through natural green spaces which feel very open have always had a restorative affect on my mental health and general sense of well-being.  I know that now I live in London I am very lucky to live within walking distance of Blackheath, so I can still get my "nature top up".  My reaction to nature, made me wonder if their is any scientific evidence of the benefits of nature on health. A narrative review from Mount Royal University in Canada looked at how contact with nature could help the emotional & mental well-being of cancer survivors.  Researches were encouraged by findings that concluded nature could have a positive impact on the well-being of cancer survivors. Gladwell et al  show that lunchtime walks in nature-based environments may provide a greater restorative effect and may improve essential recovery during night-time sleep, potentially enhancing physiological health.  While it may be difficult to take a nature-based walk at lunchtime, it is much easier in the summer to take one in the evening. For those of you that may be thinking, "walking through parks is all very well for you Joanne, but where am I going to find the time for that!".   Please read on... In 201o researched in the UK looked at evidence from 1,250 people in 10 studies and found fast improvements in mood and self-esteem from green exercise.  (Green exercise is defined as activity such as walking, cycling, running, climbing etc in nature).   The study found the strongest impact was in young people and just five minutes of green exercises can boost mental health. References Ray H and Jakubec SL (2014) Nature based experiences and health of cancer survivors, Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice 20(4): 188 - 192 Gladwell, V.F.; Kuoppa, P.; Tarvainen, M.P.; Rogerson, M. A Lunchtime Walk in Nature Enhances Restoration of Autonomic Control during Night-Time Sleep: Results from a Preliminary Study. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2016, 13, 280. Barton J and Pretty J (2010) What is the Best Dose of Nature and Green Exercise for Improving Mental Health? A Multi-Study Analysis Environ. Sci. Technol., 2010, 44 (10), pp 3947–3955

So you have checked out my tips for having a good night’s sleep and you still aren’t sleeping well, so what can you do? First remember that we are very resilient and our bodies are built to cope with the odd poor night’s sleep.  We have an inbuilt ability to deviate from the “normal” pattern of sleeping which can be a big advantage in today’s demanding world. Napping If you imagine your cave man ancestors, with predators lurking around it wouldn’t always be possible to find a nice comfortable cave and sleep for 7 or 8 hours!  There is evidence that hunter-gatherers slept in short bursts of time throughout the day.    This sleep pattern is still around today in babies and young children.   In 2002, Ellen MacArthur competed in the Vendee Glob and set a new world record for fastest circumnavigation of the globe as a solo sailor.  During this 72 day race she had 385 naps the longest of which lasted 35 minutes.  So if you don’t have time for a long sleep or aren’t sleeping well, try napping! Keep your perspective Research has shown that people with SAD or depression often spend more time in bed, but not actually sleeping — leading to misconceptions about how much they sleep.  So while I would not recommend watching the clock – as it only makes people more concerned about not sleeping, it is useful to examine your thoughts about sleep.  For most people not being able to sleep properly is a temporary setback—uncomfortable and mildly debilitating, yes—but remember you WILL sleep again. Insomnia Insomnia is usually a symptom, typically secondary to something else. It is best characterized as the inability to fall asleep, stay asleep, or waking too early in the morning. These types of sleep disruptions are often indicators of other medical or psychological problems, such as sleep disorders or depression and anxiety.   Insomnia symptoms that last longer than 30 days are usually identified as “chronic” or severe. Treatments for Insomnia Cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT, has become widely used to treat many symptoms of insomnia and is especially useful for relieving chronic or severe insomnia symptoms.  Alternative therapies such as melatonin, valerian, acupuncture and other holistic or compliment treatments including reflexology are also being used for insomnia.

While it may not seem the most obvious time of year to start talking about sleep, we can often forget when the sun is out our natural instinct is to go out and play sport or socialise.  In addition summer is often a time when things naturally slow down in the business world so we can be tempted to pack in as many things as possible before it gets busy at work. This means at this time of year we can often find out ourselves feeling depleted and short on sleep due to hot summer nights which are not condusive to a good nights sleep. I know I have blogged in the past about sleep, here are my tips for a good nights sleep .  I have talked in the past about how we feel good if we get a good nights sleep but the medical profession is still unclear about why we need sleep.  What is clear is that sleep is a huge clear out of thoughts and feelings that accumulated during the day - and this is critical to our health.  The medical profession has many theories about why we dream or need to dream - what is agreed on is that parts of our brains are very active when we dream  and that dreaming improves our ability to solve problems and be creative. The key question about sleep is often how much sleep do I need.  I don't focus on a figure but go by how my body feels.  That means sometimes it needs more sleep and sometimes less sleep.  What I focus on is the quality of sleep which I judge by how refreshed I feel in the morning.