When we hear someone mention adventure sports, or we think of doing them, excitement comes to mind. Along with the excitement, comes pulse-pounding, adrenaline rush, and childlike wonder.
What if taking adventures improves our mental health in more ways than we imagined? In my global travels in 2021 to Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Mexico, I realized the improvements in my mental health in more ways than one.
Looking for Adventure Lovers
All children love adventure, exploring, and discovery. I have countless memories as a child and an adult with adventure. I recall countless travel adventures with my mom and brother to Poland growing up.
I remember vividly memories like a horse camp for 3+ weeks in Poland, Girl Scout camps and adventures, riding bikes, and endless games of hide-and-go-seek outdoors.
Within the last 20 years, I’ve scuba dived, snorkeled, surfed, canyoned, and gone horseback riding countless times.
About seven years ago, I started realizing. how the adventures happened only on time off or “vacation time”. I started making decisions to create all types of adventures all the time whether in Atlanta, GA at the time, or casting a vision to live adventure globally later on.
Along the way, we sometimes allow ourselves to limit our adventure, confine it to specific times, and/or allow ourselves to lose this through life’s experiences.
Adventure is everywhere
I may be traveling globally right now in Central and South America, and 7 Continents through 2021-22, but I am no stranger to adventure. Last several years, I challenged myself to create adventures in the city like going to a park, a new food place, and biking around the city.
Whether I am experiencing an adventure locally or globally, I have found that adventures teach us more about life than we think.
Improving Mental Health
Years ago, I once struggled with depression, anxiety, and presence. Step by step, I have fought through this with faith, resilience, and determination. I have recognized how nature, wildlife, and adventure help us improve our mental health.
1 Increased Presence
When we go on an adventure whether it is a walk in the park or snorkeling, our presence is increased. Our senses become heightened, and we are in the moment. When we leave our cellphones behind, this multiple the effect exponentially. Take along a regular camera next time instead.
2 Remember Childlike Wonder
Whether I am hiking, snorkeling, or whale watching on Cano Island, I remind myself to keep my childlike wonder. Looking at life with the eyes of a child transforms us from the inside out.
In Costa Rica’s Osa Peninsula, I experienced an hour-long show from humpback whales coming back from snorkeling in Cano Island. You will understand how we had a Whale of a Time!
3 Choose Humility
It is easy to become a know-it-all if you stay in your comfort zone. One thing I challenge myself on is to be in uncomfortable situations where I know little to nothing. This is one of the best ways to choose humility.
With adventures, this includes learning about wildlife, surfing, and canyoning.
Since I have surfed a total of two times, it is easy to stay humble. Keep in mind the first time I went surfing in California, I broke my foot.
I still chose to go surfing in Costa Rica in Manuel Antonio earlier this year.
4 Be Teachable
Teachability goes hand in hand with humility. Usually, when we are not humble, we are not teachable. In adventure sports, like in life, business, relationships, if you don’t have teachable skills e.g the ability to realize there is always a different way to do things, something new to learn, and what you once did may no longer serve you, you may fall in more ways than one.
Every adventure sport I have done has caused me to shift my perspective.
Adventures Improving Health
Wouldn’t you love to be around someone who has Increased presence, remembers childlike wonder, chooses humility, and is teachable? We all do. So, how about we create the world we want to see?