this post was submitted on 16 Aug 2023
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This isn't meant to be a criticism of your post, but as someone who fades in and out of this situation I want to say: "go outside" is not overly helpful advice for people in this situation. I've tried going outside but without a goal to fulfill or any idea of how "normal people" have fun, it's a struggle to make it feel any less empty than being at home. Obviously it's not your job to write a book-length guide on how to live a fulfilling life though, so carry on.
Right? "Go outside!" AND THEN DO WHAT, MOTHERFUCKER? Just be depressed outside??
People have this weird idea that because they like being outside, that it must be some sort of cure-all for depression. They also seem to think that being sad is the same as depression.
Seeing green spaces does have an impact on our ability to self regulate, which is helpful for both sadness and depression, but the advice is not formulated well. I have adhd, so my version would be “make getting outside the most important thing, guilt yourself for hours, force yourself finally, then go for an aimless three hour walk that does actually really help with eating and sleeping regularly, then build from there.” That’s obviously fucking nuts to say to someone else, so people say go outside instead
I didn't mean to imply that it can't be helpful, just that it isn't just that simple for a lot of people. Same as most other not incredibly helpful suggestions like "go hang out with some friends" "see a movie" or "go to the bar" when (in my case) part of the problem was explicitly not being able to do those things for one reason or another.
I didn’t think you did, you’re good!
I think it’s just a hard social interaction, where a person knows that this is generally helpful to the problem, they want to help, but they can’t really be helpful unless they know the person incredibly well. They don’t want to say nothing, and what they should actually do (agree that the situation sucks, ask the person how they can help, be nonjudgmental when listening, and be willing to sit with them, help them with chores, or call them on a random Tuesday for coffee), feels like both too much and too little.
It’s the same problem when someone is going through a breakup or otherwise grieving, but for some reason, depression, chronic illness, and large weight loss, which are less commonly experienced and more personalized, attract a lot of this type of advice. A friend of mine at one point gained about 30 kilos while on chemotherapy for bone cancer, which is nuts, and she was working with several doctors on that, along with every other aspect of her life. Still, she was constantly given unprompted advice about how to incorporate lean meats and leafy greens into her diet. It might be generally good weight loss advice, but she only had 30% of her jawbone left.
Set yourself a goal for some place to walk, could be a park, a lake, a gas station, doesn't matter. The most important thing is that it takes you a reasonable amount of time to get there and back again (preferably at least an hour). You can listen to music or a podcast or an audiobook while you walk if you want to.
The point is that your body responds positively to a lot of different stimuli:
Among others. You don't have to do "anything specific" in order to get those stimuli and get your endorphins flowing. Once that happens, people typically start feeling happier, and get more of a desire to do other things, making it easier to do more cool things.
Go to a park. Look at some trees. So tall and wavy. Go up and touch their bark. Heck, why not climb up a bit? Climb all the way to the top. Take off your clothes and make a nest of leaves in the nook of a high branch. It is your tree now, nobody can take it away from you. Let loose a loud screech of "ook ook" to let everyone know.
You overestimate my power!
Haha, I hope not :)
Joke aside though: I understand that what I'm outlining isn't some magic "fix all", and that some people are in a situation where even getting out of their chair/bed and moving to the door is an accomplishment. I'm afraid those people need more help than I can give, and I wish them the best of luck.
However, for those that can get just a litte movement outside, it's been shown that doing so helps. My point is that you don't need anything specific to do outside. Once you set the goal of just being outside, moving and breathing, the "things to do" will come more naturally. The most important part is getting started by trying to accomplish something like walking around the block, and take things one step at a time.
I am lucky to live in a house with a yard (where I've had to water garden plants daily) and near a trail (I've ridden 130+ miles on my weak-but-geared ebike, mostly shorter trips though) but there isn't much for me to do around that I'm aware of, especially viable without a car and without spending money.
So that's why I think external factors are a bigger part. I even did go on a more-than-an-hour trip and it didn't magically 'click'. Though I had to recover for a few days afterwards (and weather, including heat/sun is a common thing stopping me, also places that aren't open in the afternoon). Also that and even shorter grocery trips I feel shorted (both for what I did and did not buy) due to high prices.
Though it's hard measuring status especially longer-term with added complexity. It's entirely possible not doing the things would make things feel even worse, but there's no reliable way to actually tell.
It sounds like you're doing a lot to help yourself and your body get what you need. It's definitely not going to 'click' for everyone after one trip, but I've found it nice to set some goal or project around the trips. One year I walked to a viewpoint on a trail thats maybe half an hour there-and-back, and took a picture (almost) every day. I had a plan of putting the pictures together to make a kind of "gliding" transition of the view throughout the year (one thin strip for each day) but never got to the photoshopping part. That helped me get out the days I was tired or the weather was bad, because I wanted to get all the pictures for my project.
I think what you're doing is good for you, hope you keep it up, and wish you all the best :)
I have bad joints, man. A walk isn't as relaxing when you've got the knees of an old man. Especially not when everything in both directions of your house is, quite literally, uphill both ways 😭
Ouff, I'm sorry about your knees.. I don't know if biking is any better either then? Otherwise, as others have said, it can be nice to just sit outside and read a book, or just lie down, look at the sky, and listen to something for an hour.
It's just that being inside in one place all the time, constantly looking at the same screen, is bad for us. Evolution has built us for more varied stimulus than that, and pretty much anything that breaks it up is probably better than nothing. Wish you well :)
https://i.imgur.com/gkq5eW8.jpeg
Now I am depressed and hot.
At least you are hot
I've learned to at very least I can go outside and just be in the sunlight for a while every day. For me personally it often involves messing around in my garden for a few minutes or going for a walk. If you aren't able to do that mentally or physically then just sit outside on your porch or something and just be there observing the world. None of this stuff is a cure all but this is such a minimal thing that anyone can do and for some reason I feel a little bit better that day.