For Texas Tech student Katie Doyle, an undergraduate and trip leader for the Outdoor Pursuits Center, relieving stress has one major component: nature.
“Being out in nature reminds me how irrelevant the things I am stressed about are, ” Doyle said. “When you are walking through a mountain stream trying not to slip off an algae covered rock and fall into a snow melt made river, the chemistry homework due on Tuesday is the very last thing that matters.”
Texas Tech students hiking in Colorado (photo by Morgan Kemp)
Although Katie is no psychologist, her brain’s response to a weekend spent in nature is verified by evidence medical professionals have proven through research.
Dr. David Strayer, a cognitive psychologist at the University of Utah, demonstrated his findings by leading a group of participants on a three-day backpacking excursion in the wild. Upon their return, the participants scored 50 percent better on creative problem-solving assignments presented to them.
Despite Strayer’s discoveries, the majority of society has yet to pick up on nature’s benefits.
According to a survey done by The National Human Activity Pattern, Americans spend around 87 percent of their life indoors, and younger generations are increasing this number as technology advances.
After several testing trials, Sarah Fader – CEO of Stigma Fighters – reported obsessive social and digital media usage has the ability to cause anxiety, depression, attention deficit hyperactive disorder, loneliness, and paranoia.
With the stress of time management, family separation, competition and peer pressure adding up throughout one’s college career, Texas Tech’s Student Counseling Center’s website emphasizes the importance of good nutrition, adequate sleep and regular exercise.
What better way to exercise than to take in the sites and sounds of the great outdoors, so free yourself from the wrath of social media and find a way to get outside.
Anna Claire Beasley, a grad student at Texas Tech, works at the TTU Outdoor Pursuits Center and spends the majority of her weekends outside in the backcountry.
“I find nature is the best way to relieve stress because it takes us to our primal place where we are nothing and no one,” she said. “There’s no baggage of societal pressures or social constructs.”
Texas Tech students tend to assume Lubbock has no aesthetically pleasing places to blow off some steam surrounded by nature. Although this may seem initially true, there are many parks within a couple of hours that are breathtakingly beautiful and might even get your mind off of that essay for a couple hours.
Palo Duro Canyon (Photo by Kalli Gardenhire)
- Caprock Canyon, only an hour and a half away, is the perfect place to hop on a trail and end up gazing upon an incredible view.
- Palo Duro State Park, two hours away, is the second biggest canyon in the U.S.
- Less than 10 minutes away, Mae Simmons is just outside of Lubbock and is ideal for studying outside, going on a walk, or even blazing some trails mountain biking.
Weekend trips are also available and planned by the Outdoor Pursuits Center. Take advantage of one of the extremely affordable trips to experience new places and learn some new skills that can’t be obtained by sitting behind a screen.
Outdoor Pursuits Center website: https://www.depts.ttu.edu/recsports/opc/trips.php
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