Ravaging our Countryside?

Cannock Chase :)

As a human race we seem to be intent on destroying our green and pleasant land.  I love walking and I've been privileged enough to have grown up near to some beautiful countryside.  Luckily much of this land is protected and development in or around it is prohibited, but this doesn't apply to all of it and moreover there are many other areas that don't have similar preservations.  Areas that aren't as 'rich' from a biodiversity perspective but that are not used for agriculture are often deemed as pointless and the first fields to be approved when it comes to building new housing or other developments.  This is often in the face of protests by local residents, usually on road congestion grounds or pressure on services.

But alongside this, my protests would be twofold: 1) I'm a bit of a tree-hugger at heart and when humans decide that they want to hack trees down or tarmac over large green areas it just leaves a bad taste in my mouth.  2) To bring it back to the point of my website, walking in the countryside and getting out of the chaos of towns and cities is a necessity to help to deal with anxiety.  The life of a standard MEDC-resided human, regardless of class, seems to be busier these days, whether it be work related or simply the pressure of keeping groceries on the table.  People are more stressed generally and we all suddenly wish we had more hours in the day. 

Now I emphasise - or indeed stress - that stress is not the same as anxiety.  The way I view stress by definition would be a period of your life where something(s) are causing difficulties or challenges beyond what would normally be accepted or deemed reasonable... but when this challenge is resolved, it dies down.  This isn't anxiety, as anxiety is usually more intense, lasts for longer (or indefinitely in many cases) and doesn't necessarily have to be caused by a challenge.  Anxiety can happen whenever it bloody well likes, trust me.

But stressful periods are increasing, and my vast knowledge of mental health science (cough) tells me that it makes sense that more stressful incidents in someone's life could lead to a longer-term anxiety condition, if they happen frequently enough. Moreover, cases of actual anxiety seem to be increasing, if you read most of the statistics.  People don't have time to go for a walk in the countryside or park these days, bar perhaps to drag the dog because they know they have to, and if they do, such green spaces are being increasingly threatened by our collective - but not exclusive - love of all things human. Buildings, transport links and the like. 

So to me, the likely construction of more housing on the green belt and in the countryside is bad news.  I know more housing is needed, affordable housing at that, but surely not all of this has to be of the detriment of our beautiful landscape?  When I catch the train, the amount of derelict urban land I go past where nothing is happening where they could build things is huge.  I appreciate there will be reasons why some of it is derelict; not all of this land would be suitable for construction for whatever reason, such as contamination, but much of it would be usable I'm sure.

Then there's HS2.  Without going into a political rant, I am vehemently against HS2 for numerous reasons, one of the main ones being the widespread destruction it would cause our countryside.  A whacking great railway line that in my opinion would serve no benefit to the country is to plough through not just the 'insignificant' fields I mention above, but even preserved areas aren't standing in the way of this.  And HS2 and many other developments are all about materialism.  That's another issue, wider than this blog, that really gets my goat.  

My point relating to anxiety is this.  Our countryside, where we can free ourselves, relax and take our minds away from the hustle and business of the city, is gradually being eaten up by our apparent desire to tarmac it.  We need to keep our countryside and all of our green spaces so that we can go somewhere to take ourselves away.  Walking, I've found, is one of the best things to do to help clear the mind, but NOT walking along a busy urban highway.  Walking on an isolated pathway, away from the gaze of society, is crucial to mental health healing, in my opinion.  Mind's Ecotherapy programme highlights this.

As you may have ascertained, our gradual paving over of our countryside is an issue that bugs me in more ways than one.  Helping to a better and calmer mental health is one of many issues I have with this.  But it's a very important one and, from experience, I can be certain when I say that living near to the countryside for much of my life has sometimes provided the escape I've needed from my life and myself.

Best wishes
Al

PS >> Next week is Mental Health Awareness Week.  I am going to aim to write a short blog each day that reflects my 7 days of recovery from my worst panic attack back in 2011.  As you know, I don't tend to refer to anything when I'm writing my blogs, so trying to think on my feet about this won't be easy... but worth a try!!