Riding the Wave of Resilience: How Adventure Sports like Surfing Moves Children from Negative Mental Health Outcomes to Strength.

Jacquelin Jasmin Loving - 01/14/2024

Abstract

"Riding the Waves of Resilience: How Adventure Sports like Surfing Move Us from Negative Mental Health Outcomes to Strength" is an essay that explores the transformative power of adventure sports, explicitly surfing, in promoting mental health and building Resilience for children. In recent years, there has been an increase in children diagnosed with mental health illnesses, and with that, the recognition of mental health as a significant aspect of overall well-being has grown, leading to a need for effective interventions. Adventure Sports, with their unique combination of physical challenges, unpredictability, and element of risk, offer a natural environment for children to confront their fears, develop coping mechanisms, and cultivate Resilience. 

This essay highlights the mental and physical benefits of Surfing, such as increased self-confidence, improved coping techniques, enhanced self-esteem, and strengthened social connections. It elaborates on the ability to provide a sense of achievement, foster personal growth, and serve as a form of active meditation.

Through a comprehensive exploration of the connection between adventure sports, explicitly surfing, and mental health, this essay aims to advocate for including adventure sports in mental health interventions and promote recreation in nature.

Introduction

In a fast-paced and demanding world, mental health issues have become more prevalent. With the rising amount of anxiety disorders and depression diagnosed in children, finding strategies to thrive through these challenges has become increasingly important. This essay explores the transformative powers of Adventure Sports, focusing on Surfing and how Surfing and similar adventure sports can be a tool for children to move from negative mental health outcomes to resiliency. 

Adventure sports push children beyond their comfort zones, challenging them physically, mentally, and emotionally. The chemicals released during adventurous activities can influence focus and euphoria and positively affect mental health. Surfing, in particular, stands out as a sport that provides physical exertion and forms a deep connection with nature and the ocean. The dynamic energy of the sea presents an opportunity for children to develop Resilience, adaptability, and confidence while also finding solace and calm. The sense of community creates a supportive environment where unstructured Play can lead to flow-induced growth while feeling a sense of belonging. This essay will delve deeper into the psychological benefits of Surfing and how it supports transitioning out of negative mental health outcomes to resiliency through young research and information provided by the Institute of Child Psychology and beyond.

Understanding Negative Mental Health Outcomes

Adverse mental health outcomes confine a range of conditions, such as anxiety disorders, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder, depression and other mood disorders, eating disorders, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Without treatment, these mental health conditions can prevent children from reaching their full potential and participating in everyday activities like joining birthday parties. Previous research has documented that mental health among children and adolescents is associated with immediate and long-term physical health and chronic disease, health risk behaviors, social relationships, education, and employment. (Bitsko et al.). The human mind is intricate and often impacted by external favors.

Understanding Resilience

"Active Resilience happens when people who are vulnerable find resources to cope with stress and bounce back, and do so in a way that leaves them stronger, ready to handle additional stress, in more adaptive ways." Huda Akin, a neuroscientist at the University of Michigan, was quoted by Tanja Johnson in her course about Resilience. Resilience refers to an individual's ability to adapt positively to challenging situations like trauma, tragedy, threats, or other significant sources of stress. Resilient kids are confident problem solvers, critical thinkers, independent, motivated, high self-esteem, and courageous in navigating life's challenges. While Resilience is genetically influenced, it is not a fixed trait and can be developed and enhanced through various experiences, including adventure sports. 

Creating a Pathway to Healing

By creating environments that foster resilience-building experiences, children are provided with opportunities to develop new neuron connections. These connections in the brain equip children to navigate future setbacks better and remain calm in the prefrontal cortex, where rational and logical decisions are made. The Amygdala, the brain's fear response system, plays a large part in the symptoms of Anxiety Disorders, Depression, Trouble with memory, difficulty with emotions, and Hyper-vigilance. Positive repetitive experiences aim to desensitize the Amygdala as it processes incoming information (Wendt). Providing the right experiences to help shape the children's brains and guiding the children's exposure paves a pathway to emotional healing and cognitive well-being. Positive experiences empower children on their journey toward a brighter future.

Adventure Sports as a Path of Healing

Adventure Sports, such as Rock climbing, Snowboarding, or Surfing, involve a high degree of physical exertion and risk. They require the child to fully engage physically and mentally, requiring courage, focus, and determination. These requirements come with nurturing flexibility, grit, and adaptability. Engaging in adventure sports also fosters Resilience by enabling individuals to develop and enhance various resilience-related skills, such as risk assessment, problem-solving, and emotion regulation. Furthermore, participation in green exercise (i.e., physical activity in nature) has been found to lead to mental health benefits above and beyond those acquired from participating in physical activity alone (Boudreau et al., "Adventure-Based Mindsets Helped Maintain Psychological Well-Being during COVID-19"). The book "The Blue Mind" by Wallace J. Nichols elaborates on the benefits of surrounding yourself with blue space. To support healing, it is essential for the guide and the child to have a secure attachment and keep a playful approach, as Play is the language of the young. 

Riding the Wave of Resilience

Surfing requires physical skills, mental skills, and knowledge about the ocean. In the playful journey of acquiring these skills, Children build self-confidence and self-efficacy. With its dynamic and ever-changing energy, the ocean provides a natural playground to foster Resilience. With challenges to conquer, the sea will give frequent feedback, keeping the mind focused and the brain occupied and attentive. The focus required distracts the mind from daily worries. The beach becomes where emotion regulation is developed, defeats are supported, and courage is found. Further, increasing evidence suggests that participation in action and adventure sports, such as Surfing, is meaningful and life-enhancing (Immonen et al., 2017).

Risky Play in Surf

Surfing provides a great platform to learn and utilize the difference between risky and dangerous. The child must use its scanning skills to evaluate the ocean and asses the skill set needed to navigate the provided conditions. This will build their executive functioning abilities and risk-management skills. Furthermore, Surfing, when taught through Play, hosts the skill set of risky Play as elaborated on by the Institute of Child Psychology. The mental skills that Surfing allows us to strengthen are the child's emotion regulation skills, Self-confidence (tied to emotional Resilience - "even if I fail, I will try this"), Emotional Resilience, Emotional awareness, Communication skills, Logical and abstract thinking (ability to imagine). It also builds physical skills like gross motor skills (paddling, standing up on the board), Fine motor skills (putting the leash on), Motor planning skills (if I am stuck in a rip current, how will I get out?), Body awareness (knowing where our body is in the water), Visual-motor skills (hand-eye coordination) and the previous mentioned Scanning Skills. The child builds coping mechanisms while working on these skills and having fun. These skills can be transferred to everyday life, enabling children to navigate difficult situations with Resilience.

A Shared Wave

A shared experience can promote personal growth and create a unique learning environment. The camaraderie built in this sport makes a strong support network, providing children with a sense of belonging, validation, and encouragement. Long-lasting relationships with mentors who role-model calm and empathic behavior and assist through challenging moments can lead to secure attachments and a place for the child to grow through social relationships. Fostering a culture of acceptance and connection is the goal while facilitating an environment for children to learn together. A playful approach with friends and mentors can turn a mundane surf lesson into an imaginative dragon race, speeding the learning process using the power of Play and flow. 

The Brain in Waves

When surfing, a lot happens in a child's head, from releasing chemicals to altering brainwaves. Catching a wave releases Serotonin, Endorphins, Dopamine, and Adrenalin. Serotonin, or the "happy chemical," is a neurotransmitter responsible for mood. Low levels of serotonin are associated with anxiety and depression, and higher levels of this mood enhancer reduce stress and increase overall confidence. Endorphins are peptides produced in the brain that block pain perception and increase feelings of well-being. It is associated with a euphoric feeling and "runners high' (Drughi). Dopamine controls the brain's reward and pleasure centers, and Adrenaline helps prepare for stressful situations. While not having a mood-enhancing experience, being able to experience this Chemical Mix in a safe and supported environment allows the child to practice coping mechanisms. 

Surfing and Nature Connection

Being by the ocean brings many unforgettable moments, from seeing the sparkle of the sun on the water and dolphins jumping to big beautiful waves; the sea can be an impressive sight. The many wildlife sightings and learning to play in the waves guide children to gratitude, perspective, and a deeper connection to nature. Water is not only an element that can calm the mind and guide us to the present moment, but it also teaches us to flow with our environment. Accepting the uncontrollable and finding motivation to work on the controllable allows children to ride waves, giving them a feeling of freedom and exhilaration. The sea is a dynamic element that allows for a heightened sensory experience, which engages our senses and brain, allowing the children's brains to form new pathways. While escaping the stress of everyday life, the ocean serves as a therapeutic environment.

Conclusion

As an adventure sport, Surfing offers a great tool to transform negative mental health outcomes into Resilience. Surfing promotes vital resilience-related skills, well-being, and personal growth through empowerment, mindfulness, social connection, emotional release, and reshaping perceptions. Seeing the ocean as a playground and the surfboards as toys and allowing children to grow at their own pace, we are giving them an environment to recover and strengthen their resilience-related skills in a playful approach.

Resources

1. Institute of Child Psychology

2. Schlack, Rober, et al. “The Effects of Mental Health Problems in Childhood and Adolescence in Young Adults: Results of the KiGGS Cohort - PMC.” PubMed Central (PMC), J Health Monit., Dec. 2021, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8734087/.

3. Bitsko RH, Claussen AH, Lichtstein J, Black LJ, Everett Jones S, Danielson MD, Hoenig JM, Davis Jack SP, Brody DJ, Gyawali S, Maenner MM, Warner M, Holland KM, Perou R, Crosby AE, Blumberg SJ, Avenevoli S, Kaminski JW, Ghandour RM. Surveillance of Children's Mental Health – United States, 2013 – 2019 MMWR, 2022 / 71(Suppl-2);1–42.  [Read article]

4. Maul, Stephan, et al. "Genetics of Resilience: Implications from Genome-Wide Association Studies and Candidate Genes of the Stress Response System in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Depression - PubMed." PubMed, Wiley Periodicals, Inc., Mar. 2020, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31583809/#:~:text=Resilience%20is%20undeniably%20influenced%20by,DCLK2%2C%20KLHL36%2C%20and%20SLC15A5.

5.  Wendt, Taylor. "The Amygdala: Your Brain's Fear Response Center." WebMD, WebMD, September 1, 2022, https://www.webmd.com/brain/amygdala-what-to-know.

6. Professional, Cleveland Clinic. "Anxiety in Children: Causes, Symptoms & Treatment." Cleveland Clinic, https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/anxiety-in-children. Accessed January 13, 2024.

7. ---. "Adventure-Based Mindsets Helped Maintain Psychological Well-Being during COVID-19 - ScienceDirect." ScienceDirect.Com | Science, Health and Medical Journals, Full-Text Articles and Books., Psychology of Sport & Exercise, 2022, https://pdf.sciencedirectassets.com

8. Nichols, Wallace J. Blue Mind. Little, Brown, 2014.

9. Immonen T., Brymer E., Orth D., Davids K., Feletti F., Liukkonen J., et al.. (2017). Understanding action and adventure sports participation-an ecological dynamics perspective.  Sports Med. Open 3:18. 10.1186/s40798-017-0084-1

10. Volcani, Doron. "Surfing's Unique Health Benefits – PNWMSRJ." PNWMSRJ – Pacific Northwest Medical Student Research Journal, PNWMSRJ, October 3, 2020, https://pnwmsrj.org/review/2020/10/surfings-unique-health-benefits/.

11. Drughi, Octavia. "What Happens To Your Brain When You Surf? – Surf the Greats." Surf the Greats, https://surfthegreats.org/blogs/journal/what-happens-to-your-brain-when-you-surf#:~:text=Surfing%20releases%20a%20cocktail%20of,and%20brain%20cells%20to%20survive. Accessed January 13, 2024.