Get Lost!....In supporting mental health

While lurking on the site, trying to burn through some of my daily votes on my followers, followees, and the pre-@thedreamsteem-initiated, I stumbled upon an excellent contest that I knew that I had to participate in by @naturalmedicine. The creator of the impactful tag #ihaveanxietytoo, @mountainjewel created a STEEM blockchain project to develop support and share tools about surviving daily life when faced with a pervasive challening mental state. As a fitting followup, these folks are

"...asking you to take a step beyond survival into what helps you thrive?"

How do you creatively support your mental health?

I was immediately drawn to this post, as I curate #health topics and if you have been following me over the past few months, you have seen my contributions about my hobby of coloring books, #coloringforclarity. I use the practice of filling the designs to achieve a mindfulness that is often achieved with a focus on one's breath, pulling yourself into the present moment. I focus on the way my medium interacts with the paper, the sensations of pressure of holding my art instrument, observing the reality of my immediate surroundings. And naturally, my mind wanders, but when my noticing and reshifting back to coloring is like weightlifting for my brain; my monitoring of mindfulness is getting swole and the posts are like my post-workout selfie in the locker room, without a painfully-exaggerated twist pose to make my amygdala look more plump. This practice has done wonders for my mental health and I hope others will interact and participate with #coloringforclarity, but...

...my submission for the contest is not coloring.

I support my mental health through...

...Spending time in nature!

Most likely spurred by my mother's exasperated request for me to "Go outside and play", I was outdoors as much as possible when I was a child. Riding bikes around the neighborhood was fun, but I lived in the "suburban" area and most of the green space was just someone's lawn with a couple of trees spaced out on either side of the property, and only ever saw robins and the odd squirrel or rabbit for wildlife. Then I went to nature camp.

I had found my true home

Along with learning about highly functional survival skills like fire making and first aid, we had the opportunity to explore the woods to observe flora and fauna, the plants and animals. The hiss of a breeze through the organic ceiling of leaves, following the liquid path of the creek along water striders and newts...nature felt like a new universe.

At a unique time of the year, I was able to capture spring wildflowers, summer sand, fall leaves and winter dead stuff

It can be argued that it is easier to maintain good mental health in the warmer months, as the days are longer, encouraging more people to come outside and soak up some vitamin D. An essential vitamin to every tissue in the body that is tough to get through diet, it is abundant in sunlight and without enough, negatively impacts mood and can make depression recovery harder. (Psychology Today) I have noticed increased depression patterns in myself during the (really effing) cold seasons and have to make concerted efforts to get out into the sun, as well as keep up with my movement. When you aren't exploring outdoors, it is easier to change to a sedentary lifestyle, similarly damaging to mental health.

Bundle up and go explore a frozen beach!

I love to observe the beautful complexities of nature-- mammalian brains, climate, many other intertwined systems. But what I have come to notice, and take great joy in as I have been more successful with healthy mental habits, is the simplicity. Consider a coast line; when observed from satelite, the coast looks rough and jagged. Get closer to individual boulders and rocks--rough and jagged. Observe the individual grains of sand that surround the larger rocks--rough and jagged. You can observe the same with trees going to branches, covered in leaves, that are created from these same branching, capillary-like structures. These repetitions, at multiple scales, are known as fractals. Share more examples of your favorite fractals in the comments below!

So if you find yourself seeking to escape the trappings of modern life and want to reconnect with the larger ecosystem once more...where do you go? I love the scale of our global community but this makes it impossible to provide recommendations for everyone (although I have torn up the US midwest pretty well). I am unsure of the internationally of the app, but I have been using the tool AllTrails as a resource for finding your new favorite trail. A hyperfunctional search option makes it possible to find trails by length, elevation gain, whether you can bring your dog and include user reviews with pictures, so you can be prepared for your adventure. You can use data and GPS to record your trip distance, pace, add your own pics. Maps of the trails are included online, and with a premium purchase ($29/year or $99/lifetime) you can download to use offline and if you hike trails alone, like I do (much to the fear of loved ones) you can create safety contacts to see your planned route and expected return time, or "follow your progress with live tracking when you have a data signal". I have found this app particularly helpful when I travel to a new area, but have also found some hidden treasures in my own greater city area.

Thank you again to @naturalmedicine for this contest and the prompt to consider how we can each create our unique habits for cultivating the best mental health we can achieve daily. Wellbeing is not a destination but a journey; be compassionate to others earlier in their journey and find inspiration in those further, and be flexible and forgiving of yourself. Enjoy your spins on this planet ;*

All pictures included in this post are my own original content.

And remember, the STEEM work makes the dream work! ;*