In this episode of The Choice Space, Dr Lee David explores how time in the mountains can shape resilience, perspective and everyday choices. The conversation reflects on how outdoor challenge, personal adversity and connection with nature can support steadier ways of living.
The mountains are described as a place where life feels simpler. With fewer decisions competing for attention, focus narrows to immediate needs – where to step, how to stay safe, how to respond to changing conditions. This simplicity can bring relief from the constant demands and comparisons of daily life, allowing space to think more clearly and to notice what matters.
Finding perspective through the outdoors
Time in open landscapes can shift how we see ourselves and our problems. Standing in a vast environment can soften self-criticism and reduce the sense of being trapped by expectations. The wider view offers perspective – a reminder that difficulties are part of a larger picture rather than the whole story.
For someone who felt different growing up due to illness, a stammer and bullying, the mountains became a place of safety and possibility. They offered a setting where identity was not defined by others’ judgments but by personal experience and choice.
Choosing challenge and building confidence
Outdoor challenge is presented as a way of building trust in one’s own capacity. Facing cold, fatigue or fear in a controlled way can strengthen confidence and reinforce the belief that discomfort is survivable. These experiences often translate into everyday resilience – the sense of having coped before and being able to cope again.
Challenge does not need to be extreme. Small, repeated efforts – going outside in poor weather, taking a difficult path, committing to a routine – can build resilience over time.
Values, purpose and making the most of life
Experiences of risk and survival can bring priorities into sharp focus. Encounters with life-threatening events can lead to questions about purpose, legacy and how to use the time available. Living in line with values such as adventure, growth and service can provide direction and motivation.
Purpose often emerges through helping others. Creating opportunities for people to access nature and support their mental health can transform personal experience into collective benefit.
Making sense of trauma and loss
Surviving disaster can leave complex emotions, including grief, guilt and unanswered questions. Processing these experiences may take time and can involve talking, writing and supporting others who face similar challenges. Meaning develops gradually, shaped by actions taken in the aftermath rather than by a single moment of insight.
Anniversaries and reminders may still carry emotional weight. Acknowledging these responses and allowing space for them can be part of ongoing healing.
Connection, solitude and restoring energy
Time alone in nature can restore energy and support reflection, particularly for those who find constant interaction draining. Solitude offers freedom from expectations and space to recharge. At the same time, shared outdoor experiences can deepen connection, whether through mutual support during challenges or simple companionship.
Choosing the type and amount of connection that feels nourishing can support wellbeing more effectively than trying to meet external expectations.
Mental health support in the outdoors
The episode highlights how outdoor environments can make it easier to talk about difficult experiences. Walking side by side can reduce intensity and create a sense of shared purpose, helping conversations unfold more naturally. Fresh air, movement and a changing landscape can support regulation, making it easier to stay present with challenging emotions.
Combining psychological support with time in nature offers a practical, holistic approach. It provides not only a space to reflect but also tools that people can continue to use in daily life – stepping outside, moving their bodies and seeking connection when things feel overwhelming.
Mind Over Mountains – turning experience into support
Mind Over Mountains grew from the recognition that nature had been a consistent source of support during periods of anxiety, depression and recovery. The charity brings together hill walking with professional coaching, counselling and mindfulness, creating a supportive environment where people can pause, reflect and build coping strategies.
For many, the hardest step is arriving. Anxiety, grief, burnout or loss of confidence can make participation feel daunting. Supportive group settings help people rediscover a sense of capability – the realisation that if they can take these steps outdoors, other changes may also feel possible.
Participants often leave with more than memories of a walk. They gain practical tools, a renewed sense of perspective and the reassurance that they are not alone in what they are navigating. The experience can be a starting point for ongoing change, encouraging people to integrate small, supportive habits into daily life.
Small choices that support wellbeing
The episode emphasises that the benefits of nature do not require extreme adventure. Brief moments outdoors, taken regularly and with intention, can support mental health. Being fully present – without phones or distractions – allows the senses to engage and the mind to settle.
Meeting a friend for a walk, stepping outside during a busy day or noticing the sky can create small but meaningful shifts in perspective.
Choice Space takeaways – small, workable steps
Step outside each day: even a short pause outdoors can create perspective.
Be fully present: notice sights, sounds and sensations without distraction.
Choose manageable challenges: small efforts build confidence and resilience.
Find your balance: combine solitude and connection in ways that restore energy.
Act on your values: let everyday choices reflect what matters most.
This reflection offers a grounded reminder that strength can grow through challenge, and that time in nature can support clarity, connection and a steadier relationship with ourselves and the world around us.
About the guest
Alex Staniforth is a record-breaking adventurer, ultra-runner, speaker and founder of the mental health charity Mind Over Mountains. By 19, he had survived two Mount Everest disasters, and has lived with epilepsy, mental ill health, a stammer and bullying since childhood. He is the fastest person to climb all 446 mountains in England and Wales under human power and is the author of Icefall and Another Peak.
Connect with Alex:
- Website, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram @alexstaniforth_
- Mind Over Mountains
