4 Ways Golf Can Improve Your Mental Health
By Jasmine Clark, Live Well Enhance You Contributing Writer
May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and it’s also Golf Month. Those two things go together well because golf has been proven to reduce stress levels in those who play it. In fact, “mental wellbeing” was the most common answer given in a 2020 survey of golfers from the US, Canada, and the UK when asked why they play golf.
Here are four reasons to go out and play some golf this month – and beyond!
Gives you the health benefits of being outdoors.
Playing golf involves spending time in the great outdoors, which works wonders for your health. As long as you’re protecting your skin from the sun and staying safe from heat, being out in the sun is beneficial. The sun helps your body make Vitamin D, which has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. The “sunshine vitamin” can strengthen your bones, immune system, muscles, and more.
Being outdoors and breathing in the fresh air is wonderful for your mood, too. Playing golf can have a relaxing effect because it gives you a chance to take a break and spend time outdoors for a while. You may see an improvement in your sleep, too. As your eyes take in your sunlit surroundings, your body’s circadian rhythm gets in sync, making it easier for you to fall asleep at night.
Welcomes a wide range of ages and ability levels
Golf is more accessible than many other sports because it’s not as physically intense as others. It’s perfect if you want to exercise more but you’re intimidated by more high-impact sports. Golf gets you active and moving without being too physically difficult, making it a good mood-booster! Haidan Smith, Director of International Trade at SurprizeShop, a women’s golf accessory retailer, points out that “the endorphins released by the low-impact exercise not only reduce pain, but provide relief for emotional stress.”
It doesn’t matter how old you are, either. Golf is especially beneficial for older adults because the exercise can help with joint and muscle stiffness that comes with age. That said, golf is played by people of all ages (making it an awesome family activity, by the way).
Improves concentration, patience, and confidence
Golf is something sorely needed in today’s fast-paced world. We’re all used to the internet and smartphones bringing us instant gratification, so golf provides a refreshing change of pace. Playing this slow-moving game requires you to wait patiently for your turn and then carefully take time to observe the landscape before you swing.
There’s also the patience needed to practice and improve your skills. It may be hard to play golf if you’re a beginner, but just like anything else, you have to do it over and over to see improvement. When you start noticing that you have better skills, you’ll feel a rush of self-confidence! But you have to have patience to help you get there. Lew Cooper, a golf instructor from California, talked about golf’s ability to build patience: “There are a lot of things you can find out about yourself when you play golf. If you’re not patient, it’s a skill you’re going to have to develop.”
Grows social connections
The social aspect of golf can make a big difference for your mental health. The game can be played with friends or family, giving you and your loved ones something to do to spend time together that’s more than just sitting and talking. And yet, great conversations can pop up while you and others are playing golf. Sometimes it’s easier for people to talk if they’re doing an activity at the same time.
Golf can also be a way to meet new people and form new friendships. If you’re golfing with a friend, ask them to invite one or two of their friends. Making new friends isn’t always easy, but with the feel-good effects of being outdoors and the fun challenge of playing golf, you’ll be in a good mood, making it easier to share smiles and laughs with people you don’t know well.
Having close relationships with friends and family has an enormous effect on your mental health. Research shows that having strong social connections reduces anxiety and depression, builds empathy and emotion regulation skills, and can even help you live longer. So even if you feel like your golf skills are terrible, it doesn’t really matter. Having fun with people you care about is the best possible benefit of playing golf.
Get your golf game going!
If you’re wondering how to improve your mental health, playing golf is a smart way to do so. It’s challenging enough to not be boring, yet it’s not physically intense and exhausting. And most importantly, it makes a great group activity for social connections. Let’s just put it this way… Playing golf is a hole in one for your mental health!
Jasmine Clark is a freelance writer from North Carolina. She enjoys writing about topics such as stress relief and positive thinking. She likes to encourage others to find ways to calm down and relax. In her spare time, she loves to write fiction stories and watch TV and YouTube. You can find her on Instagram @cozysachi.