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Coping with Anxiety: Techniques to Make Fishing a Relaxing Escape
Mental Health Awareness Week 2023 focuses on anxiety. Addressing anxiety is important because it can significantly impact our mental and physical well-being, as well as our ability to enjoy hobbies like fishing.
Anxiety can affect anyone, including those who enjoy fishing. It's normal to feel nervous or unsure when trying something new or returning to a hobby after a break. However, anxiety can sometimes hold us back from fully enjoying the experience of fishing.
The good news is that anxiety is a manageable condition, and there are many effective techniques and strategies for coping with it. In this article, we'll explore ways to cope with anxiety and make the most of your time on the water.
How Does Anxiety Affect Us?
Anxiety can affect us in many ways, both physically and mentally. It can cause us to feel tense, irritable, and on edge, and can also lead to physical symptoms such as headaches, muscle tension, and digestive problems.
Anxiety can interfere with our ability to concentrate, make decisions, and perform well at work or school. It can also disrupt our sleep patterns and affect our overall sense of well-being. If left untreated, anxiety can lead to more serious mental health issues such as depression and substance abuse.
It's important to seek help if you're experiencing symptoms of anxiety, as there are effective treatments available that can help you manage your symptoms and improve your quality of life.
What is ‘Tight Lines for Healthy Minds’?
To help spread more awareness of Mental Health, Angling Direct has teamed up with Tackling Minds to promote the benefits of using fishing to overcome conditions such as anxiety. This article will give you coping tips but also share stories from those that have found fishing has helped their anxiety!
What are coping techniques for anxiety?
Coping techniques for anxiety include deep breathing, mindfulness, positive self-talk, progressive muscle relaxation, visualisation, exercise, and talking to someone. What works best varies by person and may require time to find.
Understand Your Anxiety
We understand that anxiety can stem from many different sources. You might be worried about going to a new venue, meeting new people, not catching any fish, unsure about how to set up your fishing equipment, or just feeling out of your comfort zone.
Your anxiety may be work-related or stress, whatever the cause, it's important to recognise your anxiety and address it head-on. Keep reading to find out how to address it.
Preparation Is Key
One way to reduce anxiety is to feel prepared. Before your fishing trip, do some research on the location and pack your fishing gear carefully.
Practice your casting technique to build confidence in your abilities. If you're still feeling uncertain, check out our wide selection of instructional videos on ADTV, or consider popping into a local Angling Direct to speak to a member of the AD Team.
Fishing Tackle Stores Near Me
One way to prepare for a fishing trip and reduce your anxiety would be to pop into your local Angling Direct Shop.
By talking to a member of the AD team, we can help you select the right fishing gear for your trip, answer your fishing questions and start to break down some of the barriers that stop you from fishing!
Find a Support System
Having someone to share the experience that makes you anxious can make a big difference in reducing anxiety. Bring along a friend or family member who can offer support and encouragement.
For anxiety with angling, you could invite them along to attend a fishing event, or get a Day Ticket (and a Day Fishing Licence ) at a great beginner venue!
If you're brand new to fishing and have no one interested in attending this new hobby with you, consider hiring a fishing guide who can teach you the basics and provide guidance throughout the trip.
If the thought of interacting with a guide gives you anxiety, don't forget about the community of anglers all online! There are plenty of online angler groups and forums where you can connect with like-minded individuals who can offer advice and support.
If you attend a fishing event, prepare by giving the organisers a call, reading their website and asking them questions like;
- Where is the fishing event?
- How do I get there?
- What should I bring with me?
- What should I wear for fishing?
The feeling of being prepared can reduce anxiety and boost confidence for a great day of fishing!
Who Are Tackling Minds?
Tackling Minds promotes the mental health and well-being benefits of fishing in blue/green spaces by delivering Group Fishing Sessions for Mental Health organisations, Schools and Social Prescribing Link Workers.
Working in partnership with recognised organisations, Tackling Minds helps to support people who suffer from a range of issues including but not limited to mental health, social deprivation, addiction and recovery, PTSD, long-term health conditions and disabilities
Tackling Minds is 100% volunteer-led. These volunteers provide a safe, supportive, accessible and affordable environment within which a community’s diverse population can enjoy the cultural, educational, leisure and social benefits of fishing.
Support Tackling Minds
How to Help Anxiety Naturally
As your go-to source for all things fishing, Angling Direct wants to help new anglers overcome anxiety and enjoy the great outdoors. If you're feeling nervous about trying your hand at fishing, don't worry. We've got you covered with these tips for overcoming anxiety. Try practising the following either at home, in your vehicle or even at the bankside to calm your nerves.
- Mindfulness: Being aware of your thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, and surrounding environment in a kinder light.
- Positive self-talk: an internal dialogue that helps individuals feel good about themselves. It enables them to think positively and stay motivated.
- Visualisation techniques: a helpful technique to create a strong mental image of a future event. It's useful for feeling more prepared, like visualizing a successful fishing trip.
- Focus: Think more about enjoying the process of fishing rather than just the outcome.
- Situational awareness: Enjoy the peaceful surroundings when fishing
- Breathing Exercises: Breathing can help calm and relieve stress. Steps on the NHS
How Fishing Can Help Alleviate Anxiety
In 2022, Angling Direct teamed up with Tackling Minds and Anglia Ruskin University‘s Professor Lee Smith to research the relationship between recreational fishing and mental health in a sample of UK adults.
The results from the study are now published and have firmly established the links between fishing and improved mental and physical health. It surveyed approximately 1,900 UK adults online.
The study found that, of those people who said they participated in recreational fishing, significantly fewer stated that they suffered from an anxiety disorder (16.5% versus 26.4%). Those who fish had fewer attempted suicides (7.5% versus 13.2%). Importantly, those who fish engaged in less deliberate self-harm (10.4% versus 20.6%) when compared to those that do not fish.
Lee Smith, Professor of Public Health at Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) commented:
“This would suggest that encouraging participation in fishing could be a good dual-method strategy for both promoting relaxation and good mental health, as well as encouraging increased levels of physical activity within those with mental health issues such as anxiety disorder.”
Fishing can be an incredibly rewarding and relaxing hobby, but it's normal to feel anxious when trying something new. At Angling Direct, we want to assure you that it's possible to overcome anxiety and enjoy all that fishing has to offer.
By understanding your anxiety, preparing ahead of time, finding a support system, and managing your mindset, you can reduce your nerves and make the most of your fishing trip. So, don't hesitate to give fishing a try – we can't wait to hear about your big catch!
If you need any support in your fishing journey, remember to reach out to the AD Team!
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