Since recently having a new baby I’ve been trying to be very mindful of the signs of postpartum depression.
From my three previous postpartum experiences I believe going outside regularly played a huge role in keeping depression at bay. There seems to be more and more research emerging to back that up as well.
After having my first child I distinctly remember going out for a walk by the river on a beautiful snowy day. I was overwhelmed by how refreshed and happy I felt.
That experience has stuck with me all these years and I often reflect on it when I’m feeling down, overwhelmed and reluctant to get up and out.
The healing powers of nature are only limited by man’s idleness.
With a three week old and a three year old my nights are sleepless and my days are frustratingly long. So today we put on our fall weather attire (I LOVE hoodies and sweats) and we went for a walk to the park. By the time we returned home the crisp air and falling leaves had us smiling and sane again.
Being outside helps mom but Nature For Kids is also vital. “A widening circle of researchers believes that the loss of natural habitat, or the disconnection from nature even when it is available, has enormous implications for human health and child development. They say the quality of exposure to nature affects our health at an almost cellular level.” – Richard Louv, Last Child in the Woods. Here’s more related research.
In closing I encourage any new moms out there or anyone else having a rough go lately to incorporate a dose of the outdoors in your daily routine and let Mother Nature work her magic.
If you liked this post about postpartum depression you may also be interested in these Nature For Kids posts:
Recharge Your Batteries, Mother’s Day
nature for kids, postpartum depression, outside, nature, Mother Nature, research
Wish I could stay so you could take long naps during the day. I’d go on the long walks with you!
I love this article you wrote about post pardum depression! Let me explain my story. I was pregnant with my first (so far only) child and about one month before giving birth we moved away from our mountain town in Woodland Park, Colorado to Brighton, Colorado. Two vastly different places. There wasn’t nearly as much nature in Brighton, it was more like the plains.. After I had my daughter I had post pardum depression, no medication helped me so I was stuck dealing with it. About every other weekened we would visit our home town and my depression would subside… After a few weeks of this I realized, Brighton was no place for us to be. This went on for a year, until finally we moved home, and depression was gone. Anyways I realized that the nature around me was healing! If we ever have another kid, I want to be here surrounded by the forests!
Brittany thanks for sharing your experience. I hope many more will read it and realize what a great strength nature can be. Enjoy the mountains!