Hiking and Nature for Better Mental Health in Hong Kong

Ophelia Tam

Published in

MindHK

5 min readFeb 8, 2021

By Alicia Lui, TrailWatch

Scary newspaper headlines, right?

Good mental health is fundamental to our livelihoods. Yet, we live in a period of time when many of us in Hong Kong experience poor mental health. Mind HK’s research in September 2020 revealed that 55% of people in Hong Kong felt their mental health had been negatively impacted during the pandemic. Another study released in September 2020 showed that the average mental health index of people in Hong Kong was 45.12 — 6.88 points less than the satisfactory level of 52. The score reported in 2019 was 46.41.

With 2021 underway, and we continue to work towards recovery, it is imperative that we work towards a future that enhances the sustainability and resilience of our individual health and wellbeing and that of the city. And there’s one simple and relatively cheap intervention that can help: physical activity in nature!

Plenty of research supports that being in nature enhances our physical and mental health in positive ways. Natural environments can improve mood and self-esteem, reduce feelings of negative emotions, relieve stress and anxiety, and promote brain restoration. In some countries such as Japan, Forest Therapy has become increasingly popular, in other places such as Scotland, the National Health Service has adopted Nature Prescription. Hiking in particular, is a cost-effective activity that encourages individuals to spend time in nature while being physically active.

One of the advantages of hiking in Hong Kong is not simply the proximity of many trails, but also the variety (in terms of smaller offshoot yet proper paths, as well as paved and natural paths) and the interconnectedness (you can go from one of the four main trail to a family walk to a country trail to a reservoir walk all in the same day, same country park without need for transportation). And compared to a race where you pay be pushing for time and need to follow a set route, hiking allows you to set your own pace, distance, level of trail difficulty, and to meander and explore to your liking, as long as it is done in a manner that is safe for you, others and nature. Need some ideas for routes? TrailWatch can help you!

It’s been recognised for a long time that the “open space recreation needs of Hong Kong are at least as intensive and pressing as those anywhere else in the world (Source: 1965 summary report and recommendation, “Conservation of the Hong Kong Countryside” by Lee M. Talbot and Martha H. Talbot).” In this same report, the authors write: “These needs encompass a whole spectrum of facilities, from urban or suburban parks, benches, playfields, gardens and stadia; to rural mass recreation areas such as playfields and beaches; to wild open spaces where quiet, peace and contemplation are possible and where those who are so inclined can hike, camp, climb, bird watch or just sit and enjoy nature.”

More than fifty years later, this has never been more true: rapid development and urbanization has resulted in lower quality of life. Many people are living in small homes in high density areas, and coupled with workplace and daily stresses, there’s no better remedy than physical activity in nature. Being in nature should be an integral part of our lives as nature supports us to enhance our emotional resilience to cope with pressure, manage stress and adapt to ongoing changes, adversity and shock.

The next time you go hiking in nature for your #50kmNatureChallenge in support of #MoveItHK try to:

Take a moment to breathe in deeply and use your different senses to see, feel, smell and listen to nature. What do you observe? Even if you’ve been on the same route a few times before, do you maybe see a new bud on the nearby tree? Do you feel the gentle breeze as it tickles your skin? Maybe you hear the trees as it whispers into your ears, or even to each other? Or you smell the sweetness of the flower that you just walked past.
Say thank you to nature. You may not need to shout out loud, but you can be grateful and appreciative of our natural environment in Hong Kong. For it sustains us, cleans the air we breathe and provides habitats to the many insects, animals, plants and trees that exude life.
Nurture your creativity. Captivated by what you see? Sit down by a tree and sketch the landscape. Want to harness the vibrancy of the daylight sun and its shining rays? Channel it into dance for nature! Feel the romance of earth and mountains? Write a poem! Feel the beat and the chirp of birds and insects? Hum tunes and write music scores!
Clean up for nature. Aside from following Leave No Trace principles, you can participate in activities such as plogging. Or you can additionally bring a trash bag, a pair of tongs, wear some gloves and spend 10–15 minutes during your hike to pick up the trash that you see along the sides of the trails, bring it back to the city (not just the bins at some of the resting spots as these can attract wild animals to rummage through the trash). Cleaning up the trails isn’t just good for nature; doing something good and being kind to nature can also support better moods!

There are endless possibilities of what we can do in nature in Hong Kong to feel energised and nourished. It would all do us well to go out and get active in nature!

This article is informative only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

Learn more about Nature and Mental Health: https://www.mind.org.hk/mental-health-a-to-z/nature-and-mental-health/how-can-nature-benefit-my-mental-health/

Safety

At Mind HK, safety is always our top priority. Given the flu season and Coronavirus outbreak, we ask all ‘#MoveItHK’ participants to take extra safety precautions during this time and follow government guidelines. At all times, we encourage you to take extra precautions: wash your hands before and after working out, wear a mask when in the community or in crowded areas, avoid hiking in groups and in crowded areas, and refer to government guidelines: https://www.coronavirus.gov.hk/eng/index.html.

Managing mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic: https://www.mind.org.hk/mental-health-a-to-z/covid-19/managing-mental-health-staying-well-during-a-virus-outbreak/

For a list of emergency contacts, please visit: www.mind.org.hk/find-help-now/

For other local mental health services, please visit our Community Directory: www.mind.org.hk/community-directory/

For more information on mental health in Hong Kong, please visit: https://www.mind.org.hk/mental-health-in-hong-kong/

For more information on seeking help in Hong Kong, please visit: https://www.mind.org.hk/getting-help/

Questions? Email the team at media@mind.org.hk .

Hiking and Nature for Better Mental Health in Hong Kong

Written by Ophelia Tam