Take A Hike – It Could Help Your Mood

Photo Credit: Flickr/Seattle.roamer

Ever feel less than your normally cheerful self?  We all do.  It is part of life.  Sometimes life hums along like a Broadway musical and we are happy as clams. But there are many times where our circumstances are less than desirable and it is bound to have a negative effect on our mood.  Me for example, I’ve been a little sad the past couple of weeks because I lost contact with a friend unexpectedly and under mysterious circumstances.  I know this mood is temporary, and I’m really working on getting myself back to Broadway musical status.

What does this have to do with being green?  Well, in my experience I have found that when your mood goes down, so does your commitment to sustainability.  We want comfort and convenience when we are unhappy and we tend to justify behaviors that we wouldn’t normally condone when we are feeling good.  (This would explain my purchase of individually wrapped ice cream sandwiches.)  How do we combat this?   

Today I decided to go on a hike to shake the attitude.  There is a state park near my house that has several hiking trails.  I hadn’t been there in quite a while, even though it is so close.  But today I felt drawn to it even with the pouring down rain, and I hiked about four miles through the forest.   I wanted to reconnect with nature so that I would regain my sustainable sensibilities and hopefully improve my mood.

I felt better the moment I started.  About five minutes into my stroll I literally came face to face with a hummingbird.  I was admiring the salmonberry blooms and happened upon the tiny bird buzzing about the flowers.  I have seen hummingbirds before but never that close, and not in their natural habitat.  I’ve only seen them drinking from feeders that people hang from their eves.  It seems like a small thing but I was delighted to see this.

As I continued my walk, I made effort to look up and around rather than down at the trail and I noticed all of the different shades of green in my presence.  Light green and dark green contrasting with each other and all of the hues in between.  Crayola could never replicate them all.  It was visually stunning.

As I paid close attention to my surroundings, I begin to notice the different stages of life in the forest.  There are new seedlings just starting to bloom.  There are well established trees covered in moss.  Of course I even found trees that have died and are left decaying on the forest floor.  If you know a little about ecology, you know that life in the forest is dependent on all of these life stages in order for the forest to flourish.  It is one thing to know this, quite another to witness it.

I do have to say that I accomplished my goal of helping myself feel better and recommitting to my green practices.  When I immerse myself in nature and contemplate the delicate balance of life, I almost have no choice but to respect it and want to do what I can to protect it.  Not to mention that today’s trip improved my mood a great deal.  If you are feeling down and not your usual green self, I highly recommend finding a space near you where you can connect with nature.  It doesn’t have to be a forest, perhaps you have a lake or other body of water, or a local park nearby.  Take some time to appreciate the outdoors, regardless of your mood.  I am sure you will be pleasantly surprised by the results!

Eco Home Consultations provides green living consultation service in the Seattle area, focusing on practical ways to integrate green living into your household.  Learn more at www.ecohomeconsults.com or email questions about this blog or other green living issues to Melissa@ecohomeconsults.com