If you love to fish, you probably love to spend time outdoors and know that it’s fantastic for unwinding and relaxing. But in addition to being a fun activity, it also has a myriad of extremely beneficial mental health benefits. Whether you have mastered the perfect angler or consider yourself a weekend hobbyist, there are many ways fishing can give you a more positive outlook on life.
Check out these five ways that fishing can make you happier.
Fishing Is Great For Relieving Stress
Though fishing is surely relaxing, it also requires a great degree of focus. When you’re fishing, you’re concentrating on the task at hand and paying close attention to the specific baits needed to lure in the prey. For instance, to catch trout, you need to get fishing spoons as your lure of choice. Even if there are many steps to remember, fishing can be a great distraction if you’re going through a tough time. Instead of dwelling on the past, you’re forced to be present at the moment. On top of that, studies have shown that being in nature is great for decreasing stress and may also have a positive long-term impact on both your memory and depression.
Fishing Is Fantastic For Improving Your Concentration
Let’s face it: most of us are glued to our phones. We are attached to these shiny devices for both our social life and business. Though it’s been normalized, modern technology has taken a negative toll on our ability to devote our full attention. However, fishing is fantastic for unplugging. When you unplug from social media, emails, and the constant stream of text-messages, you can be more present and decrease your stress — two things that are fantastic for mental health. According to one study, fishing can be super helpful for people who have behavioral disorders like Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). This study showed that following one trip, short-term concentration was improved.
Fishing Can Help Boost Your Self-Confidence and Self-Esteem
In life, there’s so much that’s out of our control. Whether it’s work or personal relationships, we have to accept that we can’t always get it right. That’s why hobbies are so important. It allows us to find a craft that we can hone and get better at and achieve tangible accomplishments. Studies have shown that achieving goals can increase your happiness, motivation, and self-esteem. For example, when you start to fish, you probably aren’t that great at setting up a fishing pole. But over time, you get better and learn how to build off those skills to achieve your goals. As you get better at fishing, you can learn how to apply these lessons to your daily challenges. Ask yourself how you’re approaching this situation and what you can do to achieve happiness. When you feel like everything is not going your way, remind yourself that you do have the ability to gain a sense of control over your life.
Fishing Provides Numerous Opportunities To Bond With Other People
Isolation and loneliness is a serious issue that impacts a large swath of the population. Fishing can help you set some time aside to reconnect with family and friends. Spending quality time with the people that are close to you has been linked to increased levels of happiness and well-being. On top of that, as you get better at fishing, you can mentor someone who is new to the hobby which can be a highly rewarding experience. Even when you’re not on a fishing trip, you can use the topic of fishing to strike up new bonds and relationships. If you just started off at a new job, you can ask colleagues to see if they also enjoy fishing and use it as a starting point for deeper friendships and connections.
Fishing Allows You To Travel
Sometimes you need a change of scenery. Fishing can give you a chance to get out of your usual surroundings and explore a new place. Not only do you get to see new surroundings, you get to learn what specific fish are unique to that area. Have you never been to Florida? Plan a fishing trip there and enjoy this relaxing vacation. When you’re fishing in a new area, an app like WeFish can come in handy. The app provides information on specific species of fish that are close to you and what types of lure that can help you catch your prey. On top of that, the app seamlessly filters through various types of fishing techniques and meteorological data.
Fishing is a great reflective activity that can help you appreciate your surroundings, bond with new people, and get a break from your busy work life. Though it comes with a lot of mental health benefits, you should also look into other resources like online counseling to get the help you need to get through a tough time.
