SKATEBOARDING

There are a number of reasons why skateboarding would be great for your mental health... whether you're a new or experienced skater, it can play a major part in managing your mental health. Aside from its accessibility, skating has a meditative quality, offers long-term practice opportunities, challenges you both mentally + physically (you're constantly learning), allows for creative freedom, stimulates brain function called neuroplasticity, improves vestibular + proprioception senses, and that feeling on the board is like no other. Researchers have studied the correlation between skateboarding and mental health in recent years, one of them is a study by The Pullias Center for Higher Education at USC (February 2020) which found that skateboarding “improves mental health, fosters community, and encourages diversity and resilience.” Skateboarding contributes to the concept of mindfulness and It improves the executive brain functions for focus, planning, and self-control... encouraging skaters to develop their attention skills. 

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High levels of concentration are needed to land a trick, any sort of distraction only increases the chances of injury or bailing from the trick. Skateboarding requires a lot of practice, as tricks are rarely achieved on the first try... which in turn builds determination and cultivates a positive attitude when one encounters challenges. Motivation comes from different sources depending on the skater, whatever those drivers are, it helps push you in your practice. I've learned several life lessons through skating so far and listed some more benefits below...
 

SKATEBOARDING + MENTAL HEALTH BENEFITS​

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Helps to overcome your fears, an opportunity for creative problem-solving, teaches Resilience + patience, puts you in a Flow State, it improves empathy, skating is a mindful activity, provides safety + Inclusivity, and manages anxiety by keeping you present.  In terms of connection, skateboarding has the ability to connect people who would otherwise have little to nothing in common. It’s this human connection that’s often the most organic cure for mental health conditions like depression. People feel a sense of belonging through the skateboarding community in person and virtually.

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As a person with C-PTSD healing from multiple traumas, skating became an essential practice in my mental health journey because of the benefits mentioned. Rolling around on my skateboard has been one of the most therapeutic things that I've ever done. I picked up skating with no expectations, just to learn something new and challenge myself... it has already given me so much more than that. I first noticed it within the first month of skating when I started to heal from my grief of losing my Dad. Previously, the grief put me in a state of reliving the erratic emotions surrounding the news of his death every day for over a year, it was extremely painful but skating brought me out of that mode completely. Skating has shown me a way to heal from grief, to be more self-aware so that I can learn about my traumas so that I can address them (through the different practices found on the MNSTR Method page), it taught me to be more present along with other life lessons. Since the beginning of these self-developments, I've been closely observing my practice and this self-study eventually led me to the creation of the MNSTR Skate Initiative. From my experience, skateboarding has been an effective healing tool and it can be used positively to manage our mental health when we have reached a certain level of self-awareness.