Dem dey combine outdoor wahala and mental health support for everybody wey wan boost dem wellbeing, whether dem get diagnosis or not. For the top of hill for England Peak District, life coach Zaidha Roscoe dey lead our group do some exercise wey go help us stay for di moment and feel calm. “Focus on five things wey you fit see, four wey you fit touch, three wey you fit hear, two wey you fit smell and one wey you fit taste,” she dey talk. I see some bright hiking clothes against di blue sky. I dey touch di soft grass. I dey hear birds dey chirp. I dey smell di fresh autumn air.
nd I dey chop some nutty trail mix. Na di first of plenty mindfulness and nature connection activities we go do for dis six-mile hike through Chatsworth Estate with Mind Over Mountains. Dem dey organise free wellbeing walks and cheap weekend retreats wey mountain guides and qualified counsellors or coaches dey lead for national parks and beautiful places all over di world. Na one of di few organisations – like Blackdog Outdoors for UK and Hiking My Feelings for US – wey dey combine outdoor wahala and mental health support for anybody wey wan improve dem wellbeing, with or without diagnosis. Dis organisations dey fill di big gap wey dey for di outdoor and wellness space. Half of di world people go develop some mental health wahala for dem lifetime. But even though many places dey offer self-care activities like yoga or forest bathing, dem programmes no dey really encourage people to share dem wahala with dem instructor or dey talk with oda participants about grief. So many people fit feel alone and no get support for dis kind places. Mind Over Mountains dey create space wey emotions and wahala talk dey welcome.
