The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has been a tough time for everyone, especially our youngsters who have spent more time at home and in front of screens than ever before. This isolation and over-stimulation has led to an increase in anxiety, depression, and increased stress. Along with these mental health struggles, we often times see a spike in behavioral issues at home and in school. While there is limited quantitative research showing positive benefits of whitewater activities on adolescents’ mental health, there are foundations that have studied Surf Therapy and have found great success with intentionally pairing surfing with therapeutic processing.One such foundation, The Wave Project in the UK reported interesting findings amongst their adolescent participants in 2018-2019:
88% reported improvements in their confidence, 92% reported improvements in their emotional well being – notably with reduced anxiety and feeling calmer and 89% reported feeling as though they had developed more positive relationships and felt less isolated” (The Wave Project, 2019).
While these benefits might be profound, many might ask “but what does Surf Therapy have to do with youth in Southern Appalachia and whitewater kayaking?”
The Wave Project reported “seven factors that interact and motivate a change among the individuals of the target population, who were young people facing mental health problems and social exclusion” (Gaspar De Matos et al, 2017). These 7 factors are relatable to the ways that we find that youth engage with the outdoors during Need More Outdoors programs:
- The Outdoors provides a restorative environment
- Young people feel a connection with nature when they spend time in the outdoors
- Outdoor Recreation guarantees a sensory experience that assists in learning and promotes resilience
- A culture of acceptance allows young people to feel included
- Recognition and positive reinforcement help in the development of a positive self-concept and self-esteem
- The existence of people with reference models proved to be beneficial
- Regular contact between the participants and the instructors led to the building of trust and fostered learning
Need More Outdoors believes that engaging youth in outdoor activities, like whitewater kayaking, provides tremendous benefits on youths’ well being. Increased engagement in and connection with restorative environments, sensory and naturally stimulating experiences, connection with cultures and social groups, skill mastery and confidence building, and connection with role models can all be profoundly impactful in the health and development of our youth and adolescents, especially during this wild time of life.
Look for Need More Outdoors programs in the near future to engage your kiddos in healthy outdoor activity!