Nish's story

Nish has found the peace and calm of walking in nature, staying mindful and present, beneficial for his psoriasis.

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Living with psoriasis does provide seasonal challenges as it seems to affect me more in the winter months.

I have found a lot of comfort by doing walking activities in nature surroundings. Being in a setting where there are various beautiful things to view such as the trees, singing birds, lakes, flowers does provide me with a lot of calm and peace. I think being mindful and present does help with psoriasis. I would look to make the most of sunny days and take walks in nature as the natural vitamin D intake does seem to help with keeping the skin moist. Furthermore on nature walks you always find other people will say “good morning” or a simple “hello” with a smile when passing one another which adds to the feel good factor.

On long walks such as 1 to 2 hours I would prepare a few items to take such as water, walnuts and raisins, and a couple of clothing items (mainly 100% cotton t shirts). In colder weather I would be mindful of not wearing lots of layers of clothing as this tends to cause more dryness of the skin and potential sudden flare ups.

Another thing that helps me with psoriasis is doing some light, mindful breathing. When I rest on walks I would sit and take a few deep breaths just taking in the beautiful surroundings and sounds. Linked to walking I’ve also been doing some hiking at the beautiful Lake District near Buttermere, again this has been great for wellbeing as there are fantastic views to admire and behold.

Finally I’d like to add I’ve been doing some volunteering with a local charity (supporting schools with food hampers for families that need it) which has been amazing for my health, the rewards of helping others provide huge appreciation and gratitude for what we have in life. The team of volunteers are supportive and inspiring.