Hello, reader!
I hope all has been well with you since my last blog post over 2 months ago (I know, I need to get better at posting!).
In honour of this week being 'Mental Health Awareness Week' here in the UK (12 to 18 May 2025), I thought I would share how hiking helped me - and still does - to overcome a multitude of monsters that live inside my head. What started as a distraction from heartbreak actually became the best coping and grounding mechanism that I have ever tried, and boy, have I tried and tested them all.
Carry on reading if you want to know how I healed my heart by hiking.
Needing Some Air
As I said in my first blog post, I contracted Covid for the first time in February 2023. What I didn't tell you, however, was that I experienced the break up of my 8 year relationship in the August before that - and that's a whole story in itself, although I'll save that for another day!
Still coming to terms with the events that had transpired in the previous 6 months, the mental turmoil I experienced during Covid was pretty much unavoidable as I was isolating away from my loved ones and I could no longer get out and to the things that I loved (not to mention, I felt like pure sh*t!). That meant there were no distractions from how I felt, and it left a lot of room for thinking. Negative thoughts rolled in like heavy, grey clouds, and my anxiety levels skyrocketed as I started overthinking and replaying experiences over and over again in my head. The truth is, I've always had mental health issues. From being an anxious child, to a depressed teen, there had always been some sort of battle going on inside my head.
It got to the point where I knew I needed a break from it. I'd coped really well with the break up in the grand scheme of things; organising the selling of the house, phoning the venue to cancel my wedding, realising that there was more to life than how I'd been living it up until then, and generally just moving on. The problem was, I'd had so much to focus on, and kept so busy, that as soon as I was hit with a reason to stop it all, I crumbled.
I'd been taking Ethel on longer and longer walks after the break up, venturing to new areas of Cannock Chase AONB and simply walking until my mind was quiet. The thoughts passed me by; each one left behind on the branches of gnarled oaks and towering fir trees as I passed. Each step was a cleansing ritual - a ceremony of letting go. My only focus was putting one foot in front of the other.
It wasn't until I was self-isolating that I realised just how effective my walks had been at giving me peace. I longed to bask in natural daylight again, feel the breeze on my face and hear the birds sing. On the days where I felt well enough to leave my bed, I would slip into the garden and just stand there, soaking it all in (bearing in mind it was February... so I was donned in my PJ's and big coat).
That's when I took to Instagram, creating a page to share my adventures and my healing journey. What started as an online journal and scrapbook became my sanctuary. I lived vicariously through strangers' adventures, being inspired to see and do more. I saved posts and reels to hiking bucket lists, and followed accounts that inspired me.
As soon as I was well enough to start going out again, there was no stopping me!
How Hiking Helped Me
There are almost countless ways that hiking helped me to heal from heartbreak and improve my mental health. From building my confidence, finding community, falling in love with life, and grounding, I'm going to tell you about the most beneficial side effects of putting one foot in front of the other.
Solitude
Over my 8 year relationship, I lost contact with old friends. To be honest, I didn't have many friends to begin with as I never felt like I quite 'fit in' at school. Don't get me wrong, I had people to hang out with, but I only ever had a few close friends. As we grew, left school and got jobs, we slowly lost contact with one another. Friend-sized holes were soon filled by the girlfriends of my partner's friends, as we naturally merged into a group of couples. This meant that after the break up, their loyalties did not stay with me, and I lost the people who I thought were some of my closest friends*.
I was left with a lot of grief over the loss of my would-be Maid of Honour, as well as the life I had planned. With barely anyone to turn to, some of the only things I could rely on were my dog and the great outdoors, and so our adventures commenced.
On the trails, loneliness turned to solitude. I was so focused on the journey that my mind didn't fixate on the parts of my life that I was suddenly missing. The quietness of the forest gave me the opportunity to process the exhausting emotions that I'd been wrestling with - allowing me to think, but not spiral.
Mindfulness
Personally, I can't meditate. I've tried countless times and I. Just. Can't. Do. It.
Sitting down and purposely trying to not think about anything doesn't work for me. The thoughts don't just creep in, they stampede through my mind like that scene in Jumanji. Hiking is different. I only set out to go on a physical journey, but I find that it's inevitable to experience a little mental healing in the process. As I consciously focus on taking in the sights and sounds around me, concentrating on placing my feet in the right places, I find myself drawn into the present moment.
*I'd like to take this opportunity to give a shoutout Maddy - first, a co-worker, but most importantly, a BEST friend. She's stuck by me through thick and thin and is the only friend I still have from before the break up.
Building Confidence
Exploring solo has been the biggest factor in me developing my independence, believing in my ability to take care of myself and learning to trust my gut. I'm a kinaesthetic learner, so I find that getting out and doing things by myself is the most effective way for me to build my skills and competence in the outdoors. Everything helps, from planning and packing for a hike, hiking the trail itself, learning from my own mistakes, and proving to myself that I am capable of so much.
A Sense of Community
Community is this years theme for Mental Health Awareness Week and so I think it's really important to shine a light on the people who have been part of my journey. I don't quite know where to begin when it comes to this amazing community! From spontaneously booking a place on my first ever group hike with a bunch of girls for Galentine's Day, to meeting up regularly with my hiking friends in the multiple groups I am lucky enough to be part of, to connecting with people on social media through our mutual love of the outdoors, and passing fellow hiker out in 'the wild' (on the trails), there's such a huge sense of community and belonging that comes with this hobby. I can safely say that I've never met someone I didn't like while out on a hike - the outdoors does magical things for the human condition!
I talk to my online hiking friends on a such regular basis, it's mental to think that some of us have never met yet (so many friends, such little time)! I've also made friends on group hikes that have then become multipurpose friends, and we've been known to swap our hiking boots for cowboy boots and danced the night away at Country-themed clubs (there may or may not have been a rodeo bull involved too).
Hiking has really broadened my circle of friends and acquaintances, and I love that everyone is different. They're from all walks of life; some have travelled and live in vans, while others have climbed the career ladder and are absolutely bossing the corporate life, they are a mixture of single pringles and those who are spoken for, they are a variety of different ages - from kids to older adults - and each and every one of them has a story to tell.
What I will say is that your community is out there, you just have to be brave enough to take the first step outside of your comfort zone and participate.
Preparedness to Go with the Flow
Any hiker knows that the outdoors can be as unpredictable as life itself, whether it's due to unexpected weather changes, road closures on route, questionable parking situations, or taking a wrong turn and getting lost. There are certain things you can do to plan and prepare for these kinds of scenarios, but for others you simply have to go with the flow and trust the process. The more we experience unexpected turns of events, the more we learn to deal with them, and the better prepared we are to deal with life's curveballs.
Just last week, I was driving down the dual carriageway in the outside lane when my engine light came on and my car started to shudder. I managed to pull over to a slip lane to await rescue (which 'promptly' arrived 3 hours later). Nevertheless, I was super prepared for this situation, despite it being the first time I had ever broken down (in the car, that is.... I've done it many so times emotionally I'm basically an expert). I whacked on my hazard lights, phoned the RAC and got my camping chair out of the boot. I had a great little set up considering the unexpected turn of events, managing to stay warm with my multitude of spare fleeces, coats and blankets, keeping my hunger and thirst at bay with my emergency stash of hiking snacks and bottles of water, and managing to keep my phone from dying with the last dregs of my portable power bank (note to self: I must recharge that!).
Please enjoy the multitude of group photos I've included of some of my favourite hikes!
Moving On
I feel extremely privileged to live in a country where nature is in abundance and relatively accessible as it means that I can incorporate the good stuff into my every day life, whether it's a weekend away in the Lake District, or a simple walk through the park during my lunch break. There are so many ways that you can enhance your mood and mental health every day, so I'd like to encourage you to think about how you can make the most of Mother Earth, while taking care of your mind.
To help you on your way, I recommend using AllTrails to build your confidence when exploring the outdoors and discovering new places! You can get 30% off AllTrails+ by using my link!
I'd especially like to encourage you to join local groups, whether this be a ramblers group, a dance class, a group retreat, a painting workshop or anything else that will help you to make friends and build a community.
A community is a place to belong, to feel accepted, to socialise, to learn and to lean on when times get tough.
Happy adventuring,
Beck x
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