Two-and-a-Half-Year Follow-Up Study with Freedom on Water through Stand-Up Paddling: Exploring Experiences in Blue Spaces and Their Long-Term Impact on Mental Well-Being

Blue space interventions evidently have a posittwo instructors from the initial study. The participants, dealing with mental disorders, participated in the group-based intervention Freedom onWater, participating in stand-up paddling. Five main themes emerged from the empirical analysis: SUP as a catalyst for broadening horizons; learning: stepping out of the comfort zone; a break from diagnosis and rumination; connectedness to nature,
specifically blue nature, and to the group; a life-changing journey; and a shift in mindset. The study revealed a long-term, life-changing impact of the program on participants’ well-being and mental health. Nature and blue space activities had become a greater part of their lives, improving their mental health with feelings of calmness, positivity, healing, and freedom. Stepping out of their comfort zone facilitated experiences of success and transformed their mindsets. Moreover, they experienced a break from rumination, and they became more outwardly focused, with confidence in themselves and their abilities, while making new friendships and engaging in new and different contexts.