Caregiving
By Tracy Janiga PCOA Aging & Caregiving Specialist The Gift of Nature for Stress Reduction
Atterbury Wash : A one-mile loose dirt trail through a wash area with interpretive signs. Dog friendly. 8328 E Escalante Rd. Sweetwater Wetlands : A true oasis in the desert featuring large and small ponds, wetlands, dozens of bird species, fish, turtles, frogs, and desert wildlife. Multiple loop trails, packed dirt, unpaved but wheelchair friendly. No dogs allowed 2551 W Sweetwater Dr. Fort Lowell Park : City park with nut trees, small and large water features, grassy lawns, and historic fort. adjacent to the paved Chuck Huckleberry Loop. Dog friendly. 2900 N Craycroft Rd. Reid Park : Tucson’s version of Central Park. Features a rose garden, dog park, playgrounds, duck pond, waterfall, stream, lagoon, big trees, dozens of bird species, and turtles. Paved walking path around the park and pond providing wheelchair accessible recreation. A wonderful place to walk or relax. Dog friendly. 900 S Randolph Way Honeybee Canyon : Native plants, desert animals, a wash, canyon, ancient petroglyphs, rock formations, historic dam, and 3 miles of unpaved trails. Dog friendly. 13880 E Rancho Vistoso Blvd Feliz Paseos Park : A universally accessible trail system for people of all abilities. Two miles of trails, award winning design for mobility device users, desert setting, birds, wildlife, and interpretive signs. Dog friendly. 1600 N Camino de Oeste
respond appropriately to our changing environment. Unfortunately, chronic exposure to stress, such as the stress of caregiving, overwhelms and interrupts the system. When this happens, you can feel anxious, depressed, fatigued, overwhelmed, or like you are ‘always on’ or ‘never able to get a break’. Overtime, this can lead to long-term physical and mental health problems such as depression, anxiety, high blood pressure, and diabetes. The good news is that there are things you can do to help your body become more regulated and help you feel better. Nature can be one of the tools in your toolbox. Spending as little as 5-10 minutes in nature can help restore your body and mind, lower cortisol levels, decrease sympathetic nervous system activity, and increase parasympathetic activity. In short, feels less stressed, less on edge, and help you relax. Many neighborhoods in Tucson have parks and visiting your neighborhood park is a great way to take a quick break. If you can’t make it to a park, try stepping (or looking) outside to see what your immediate surrounding has to offer. Look at the trees swaying in the breeze, watch the birds, gaze into the bushes, and see if you can spot a critter. Focus just on what you are seeing, hearing, or smelling outside. Let your mind drift away from the stresses of the day. If you can venture a bit farther from home or want to see something new, check out one of these nature getaways in Tucson. These places are all free to explore.
Spending time in nature is a great way to lower your stress level. A continually growing body of research shows that spending time walking in or sitting in natural environments can “lower concentrations of cortisol, lower pulse rate, lower blood pressure, increase parasympathetic nerve activity, and lower sympathetic nerve activity compared with city settings.” Source: The physiological effects of Shinrin-yoku (taking in the forest atmosphere or forest bathing): evidence from field experiments in 24 forests across Japan | Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine | Full Text (biomedcentral.com) Cortisol is commonly referred to as the stress hormone, the sympathetic nervous system controls the fight or flight response, and the parasympathetic nervous system helps the body to rest or relax. Stressful situations cause cortisol levels to rise, which activates the sympathetic nervous system, and suppresses the parasympathetic nervous system. Essentially, cortisol triggers the danger alarm in your body, your sympathetic nervous system leaps into action, heart rate and blood pressure increase, and you are revved up to fight against, or flee from, danger. When the threat passes, cortisol decreases, and the parasympathetic nervous system slows your heart and blood pressure and tells the body to relax. When functioning properly, these body systems help keep us safe and able to
March 2022, Never Too Late | Page 11
Pima Council on Aging
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