Supporting communities to access the outdoors to increase physical activity & enhance their health and wellbeing
Y V O N N E
W I T T E R
Hi Yvonne, can you tell us a little bit about you?
I am a Health and Wellbeing worker. It is very important for me to look after “me”.
I work with individuals to support them to manage their health and wellbeing. It has been extremely difficult for me working from home during the lockdown, which I am not used to doing.
I feel trapped in a small kitchen as an office, little space to breathe, excluded and frustrated with virtual meetings
I work 4 days a week and always enjoy getting outside to enjoy nature after work and weekends
However, during lockdown I was sitting for longer periods reading triple the amount of emails and attending Zoom meetings. It was absolutely overwhelming and painful.
The process of accessing and joining a zoom meeting increase my anxiety level. The first time I hosted a zoom meeting I had a sleepless night and laid awake worrying about getting things wrong.
Do you consider yourself to have any mental health issues?
I have suffered from depression before and took prescribed medication for that period.
How do you think getting outside improves mental health?
Getting outside improves mental health – a time to enjoy nature, listening to the birds watch the squirrels’ tress jumping show. Getting away from confined space and spending time walking, or doing a physical activity that you enjoy. Exploring places, trying something new.
Getting outside helps me to relax, switch off and concentrate on the beauty of the things I can see and admire – animals, plants, trees.
Walking in the park or countryside enables me to appreciate the outdoor which is like nature’s green prescription for regular medication to relax the mind
Has someone ever initiated a conversation about their mental health with you and if so, can you tell me a little bit about this?
Yes and it can be quite emotional to hear about how mental health affects different people. They often feel withdrawn and their confidence takes a nose dive. Seeing people change so much when having difficulties is challenging but I always support people by listening and getting outside with them. I make sure that they know I am always here to listen and at the end of a phone, be it a text message or a chat.
Do you have a favourite place to go when you need some downtime, if so where?
Get the train to the Peak District to Edale village and take in the views across the landscape during a 6 mile walk.
Finally – What two items would you take with you if you were shipwrecked on a deserted island?
Definitely a large notebook and a pen – I would write and write and write poetry, prose, short stories!
