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Why Golf Helps With Mental Health

Sports such as golf can be a great way to boost your mental health.

By Patrick ReedPublished about a year ago 3 min read
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https://patrickreedfoundation.com/why-golf-helps-with-mental-health/

There are so many reasons why people play golf. It can get you outside, improve your social life, and make new friends. But did you know that it also has mental health benefits? Not only does it help your body, but it can boost your brain function. In this article is a list of four ways golf boosts mental health.

STRESS REDUCTION

Aside from being fun, playing golf can also help reduce stress. One of the most common reasons people ask why they play golf is that it can relieve stress. It’s because it can involve a combination of physical and mental activities. One of the most effective ways to relieve stress is through green exercise, a sport involving moving around in the great outdoors.

Getting outside is also known to stimulate the production of serotonin in the body. This chemical plays a significant role in the development of one’s mood. When sunlight hits your eyes, more serotonin is released, which helps boost one’s perspective.

DECREASES ANXIETY

The combination of playing golf and reducing anxiety can also help improve one’s mental health. Although green exercise can help lower stress, a long-term reduction in pressure can have surprising long-term benefits.

The combination of social interaction and golf can result in a considerable decrease in anxiety. According to studies, people who play golf live five years longer than those who don’t. If your spouse or partner gets upset that you’re playing on the fourth day of the week, you have another reason to justify your decision to join the sport.

PROMOTES SOCIALIZATION

Although playing golf won’t eliminate symptoms of depression, it can help decrease them significantly. Like a runner’s high, the production of endorphins by playing golf can help boost one’s mood. It’s important to note that golf isn’t as intense as regular exercise but can help decrease depression.

LIFE SKILLS

Although life skills are essential regardless of one’s age, golf can help improve them. For instance, you can improve your confidence and move on from the incident by learning how to accept and forgive yourself after hitting a bad shot. There are many parallels between life and golf, and refining and improving one’s abilities to receive and focus on the good can help increase one’s mental maturity and mental health.

About Patrick Reed

Hailing from Houston, Texas, Patrick Reed is a professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour and the European Tour. In his time as a PGA golfer, Reed has experienced significant success, becoming known as a force on the Tour. In August 2019, following a strong weekend of golf, Reed secured his 7th PGA Tour title by winning the 2019 Northern Trust at Liberty National Harbor Golf Club in New Jersey.

The success at Liberty National Harbor Golf Club came after Patrick Reed’s breakthrough year in 2018. While competing in the 2018 Masters Tournament in Augusta, Georgia, Reed displayed an exceptional performance throughout the course of the tournament. His high level of play would help Patrick Reed win his first Masters Tournament on April 8, 2018, helping him jump to number 11 in the world. Reed’s historic win would mark a notable shift in his professional career.

Before winning the Masters Tournament in 2018, Patrick Reed was already becoming known as a force to be reckoned with. In 2014, Reed won the WGC-Cadillac Championship, replacing Woods as the youngest-ever winner of a World Golf Championship. The victory at Trump National Doral marked Reed’s third PGA TOUR win in a seven-month span, including the 2013 Wyndham Championship and the 2014 Humana Challenge.

At Humana, Reed set the PGA Tour record for most strokes under par after 54 holes after three consecutive rounds of 63 to start the tournament. In September of 2014, Reed made his impassioned debut on the U.S. Ryder Cup Team, amassing a 3-0-1 record.

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About the Creator

Patrick Reed

Hailing from Houston, Texas, Patrick Reed is a professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour and the European Tour.

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