"Sea Kayaking Helps My Mental Health": How Nature Was Vital For My Recovery
According to the Mental Health Foundation Scotland, nearly two-thirds of adults say that being close to nature improves their mood.
Struggling with mental health issues for twenty years, 57-year-old suicide prevention advocate, Nick Ray tells his story on his struggles, including how he has managed to cope and tackle depression.
Born in Zimbabwe, Ray, a depression survivor uses kayaking in Scotland's beautiful seacoast, describing the low-impact activity as playing a huge role in his recovery helping him find relief and cope with life's pressures.
Speaking to the BBC, Ray states that there have been several occasions where he had ended up in hospital. Not only has the outdoors been vital in Ray’s recovery, but it has also enabled him to feel at ease with himself.
Ray has always been an outdoor person and while working as an outward-bound instructor in Africa and the United Kingdom, it was during that time, he took up kayaking a pursuit he has enjoyed for 35 years playing a huge part in his recovery.
It’s clear to see that kayaking has been beneficial in helping Ray cope with mental health issues, which he says allows him to always focus on the present and not worry about things in the past or future so he can have a moment to himself. This proves that being outdoors can be a useful solution in fighting the mental health crisis.
Nick Ray, we wish you all the best!
