![\"mental](\"https:\/\/www.shipsticks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/AdobeStock_355862847.jpgNEW.jpg\")
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There are so many reasons to play golf. It gets you outside, it\u2019s excellent exercise, you can travel the world playing it, meet new people, and make new friends – the benefits are endless! But, did you know there are several mental<\/em> health benefits of playing golf, too? That\u2019s right! As good as golf is for your body and social life, it\u2019s also great for your brain.<\/p>\n A three-footer to save par or a long approach over water can be anything but stress-reducing. So, we understand why you may be asking, \u201cjust how does golf relieve stress?\u201d It can be mostly attributed to something called green exercise. Green exercise is essentially any physical activity or sport performed in the great outdoors. The combination of physical output while being in contact with nature reduces stress and mental exhaustion. And it certainly doesn\u2019t hurt that golf courses tend to offer incredibly beautiful and peaceful settings, too.<\/p>\n To get even more scientific, being outside stimulates serotonin production in your body. When sunlight enters your eyes, more serotonin is produced which plays a large role in your mood. So, you\u2019ll find yourself in a generally happier mood when on the golf course – minus the double bogeys of course.<\/p>\n The reduction of stress and anxiety go hand in hand when it comes to the mental health benefits of playing golf. As green exercise can reduce stress, it can also lower anxiety. But a long-term reduction of anxiety can have shocking lifelong benefits. Like, a longer life!<\/p>\n A combination of the physical benefits of golf and social interaction can lead to a huge decrease in anxiety. Because of this, studies have found that, on average, golfers live five years longer than non-golfers. So the next time your husband or wife gets upset that you\u2019re playing your fourth round of the week, you have yet another justification to add to your list!<\/p>\n At its root, golf is certainly an individual sport. You\u2019re not playing for a team (in most cases) and your own score is the only one that matters to you. But as independent as golf can be, it also offers many opportunities for group play and camaraderie and is one of the best social benefits of golf.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re playing by yourself, more often than not you\u2019ll be paired with another group. Or, you may already have a large group of friends you like to play with! Either way is great, and offers a great opportunity to increase your social interaction. Social interaction has been found to naturally produce dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with the \u201creward system\u201d of the brain. Whether it\u2019s a high-five after a great shot or a handshake at the end of a round, physical touch can produce dopamine, too.<\/p>\n The mental benefits of golf also extend to depression. Playing golf won\u2019t eliminate depressive symptoms entirely, but it can drastically decrease their effects. Have you heard of a runner\u2019s high? It stems from the production of endorphins but can be applied to golf, too. Sure it\u2019s not as intense of an activity. But, a few hours of steady athletic activity can reduce the effects of depression.<\/p>\n Life skills\u2026 it\u2019s probably a phrase you haven\u2019t heard since elementary school! But, no matter your age, life skills are always important. And golf offers a great opportunity to improve them. Take hitting a bad shot for example. Golf teaches you to accept what has happened, forgive yourself, let it go, and move on with the round.<\/p>\n With situations like these, there are so many parallels between golf and life. Refining and enhancing your abilities to accept the bad and focus on the good is a great way to increase your mental health and mental maturity.<\/p>\n So, are you ready to experience the mental health benefits of playing golf yourself? Great! Make your airport experience easier on your mind and body, too, when you ship your golf clubs and luggage ahead with Ship Sticks<\/a>. Learn mor<\/a>e about shipping ahead or get a free quote<\/a> today!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" There are so many reasons to play golf. It gets you outside, it\u2019s excellent exercise, you can travel the world playing it, meet new people, and make new friends – the benefits are endless! But, did you know there are several mental health benefits of playing golf, too? That\u2019s right! As good as golf is…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":49,"featured_media":8283,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[40,483],"tags":[443,442],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shipsticks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8282"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shipsticks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shipsticks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shipsticks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/49"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shipsticks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8282"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.shipsticks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8282\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8284,"href":"https:\/\/www.shipsticks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8282\/revisions\/8284"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shipsticks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8283"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shipsticks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8282"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shipsticks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8282"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shipsticks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8282"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Mental Health Benefits of Playing Golf<\/h2>\n
1. Reduces stress<\/h3>\n
2. Lowers anxiety<\/h3>\n
3. Encourages social interaction<\/h3>\n
4. Decreases effects of depression<\/h3>\n
5. Improves life skills<\/h3>\n