Research funded by Visit Scotland has suggested that 73% of UK adults think being near water can reduce stress levels while 56% believe it can relieve anxiety and depression [*1]
Chris Greenwood, VisitScotland senior insights manager, said: “Similar to forest bathing, water wellness is that connection to our natural resources and its impact on our physical and mental health."
The coronavirus pandemic has impacted the wellbeing of people all across the country and over the past year we’ve seen evidence of people embracing activities that help address this, such as the increasing popularity of wild swimming, kayaking and standup paddle boarding (SUP).
My experience over the last 3 years is that kayaking has had a profound impact on my mental health and ability to 'switch off' and enjoy the moment. This benefit is core to the Aims of Bonkers Squared to seed fund local Partnerships that enable those less privileged and in need to engage more effectively with the natural world through paddlesports. With the Covid Crisis and well reported national issues surrounding mental health the time has never been better to launch initiatives such as this.
Paul Thompson
[*1] : YouGov Research commissioned by Visit Scotland June 2021
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