With a career spanning over twenty years, Dr. Steven Adamczyk exemplifies the intersection of medical practice and leadership. Operating from Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, he is the Chief Executive Officer of Wellcore Health, a role that leverages his extensive background in emergency medicine. Dr. Adamczyk’s professional journey began in the emergency rooms of the early 2000s, where he developed a reputation for his calm under pressure and exceptional patient care. His tenure at Independent Emergency Physicians solidified his expertise in emergency healthcare delivery.
In 2018, Dr. Adamczyk joined Rock Ventures as a medical advisor, overseeing the development of a comprehensive health facility that combined diverse medical services under one roof. This experience paved the way for his current leadership at Wellcore Health, where he focuses on innovative patient engagement strategies and sustainable business growth. Apart from his executive duties, Dr. Adamczyk contributes to the medical community as a content editor and consultant with organizations like WebChartMD and ViralMD. A graduate of Michigan State University and Wayne State University, his education underpins his commitment to enhancing the accessibility and quality of healthcare services.
Recreation and wellness programs have a place in the mental health field as an ancillary service that helps those with mental health issues promote their well-being through engaging in activities like art therapy, mindfulness and meditation, and exercise programs. However, health experts assert that just visiting the park can improve well-being because it connects with nature. Research conducted in the 1980s in Japan involving forest bathing found that interacting with nature engages the five senses. Today, the park can help people disconnect from technology, which provides constant demands and is not always positive.
Any leisure activity generally provides relaxation, but the park offers multiple benefits, including reducing stress levels. Many visitors to the park experience hearing birds chirp, smelling the pungent odor of fresh-cut grass and wildflowers, feeling the warmth of the sun against their skin, and seeing amazing monuments to nature trees, some with trunks reaching high into the sky. These feelings facilitate relaxation and a powerful sense of awe and wonder. The physiological impact of being exposed to these stimuli is that it reduces cortisol and blood pressure while enhancing sleep quality. The park can be an escape from the constant barrage of unnatural stimuli on the human body.
Getting out into the outdoors also positively impacts mood. Exposure to any natural environment releases endorphins, hormones known for improving mood. Parks and green spaces engender creativity and improve cognition, making concentrating easy. More importantly, the park provides an escape, a sanctuary of sorts, that allows one to get away from the pressure of daily living and an opportunity to reconnect with oneself and others.
Going to the park is also an activity that can provide opportunities to connect with others, whether simply walking through one, engaging in bird watching, taking nature hikes, or participating any various group activities at the park. Being in nature and socializing can compound the positive impacts of being at the park. A May 2023 National Recreation and Parks Association article interviewed parkgoers on the park’s importance to them and the community. They reported that it was a place where they could reconnect with loved ones, enjoy the outdoors together, meet new people, and network in the community. In the case of one parkgoer, the park gave them an outlet and a place to recover from the trauma of loss.
Visits to the park also have an unintended impact outside of improving mental health in that they ingrain a sense of environmental stewardship in parkgoers. Research supports the connection between human interaction in nature and how they perceive it, specifically human behavior. Park visitors who understand the importance of preservation and conservation are likely to recycle and engage in other sustainable practices like building a wildlife habitat, planting pollinator gardens, park clean-ups, and other activities.
Simply going to the park is not quite the same as participating in a wellness program that promotes lifestyle changes to support holistic health. However, a visit to the park can provide basic mental health assistance that reduces stress, improves mood, and provides an outlet for social interaction, offering more support than a pill might.