Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Add Good to your Google News feed.
Google News Button

UK gives King’s Award to man starting a fishing program to tackle depression and anxiety

Fishing for solutions to improve mental health.

fishing, mental health, social prescriptions, depression, anxiety

David Lyons' fishing organization is helping people's lives.

Photo credit: Canva
Erik Barnes
By Erik BarnesNov 25, 2025
Erik Barnes
See Full Bio

David Lyons of Manchester, England, was diagnosed with many complex mental health struggles, but found that going fishing significantly improved his mindset and mental health. By citing the confidence-building and socialization that fishing brings, Lyons teamed up with local mental health organizations in 2020 to develop Tackling Minds, an organization that aims to provide those who are struggling with disability, mental health, and addiction with a stigma-free environment to make friends and participate in the therapeutic act of fishing. The organization provides all of the rods and equipment needed, along with coaches to help newbies learn how to properly apply bait, cast a line, and reel it in.

@tacklingminds

The mist heartbreaking interview with a gentleman who comes fishing with Tackling Minds. Show your support for mental health and please give us a follow. TIGHT LINES FOR HEALTHY MINDS #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #mentalhealthmatters #mentalillness #fyp

Fishing promotes mental health

University research supported Lyons’ claim that fishing is a helpful activity that promotes better mental health. In 2012, the National Health Service recommended Tackling Minds as a “social prescribing activity” for those with mental health struggles. Social prescriptions, also known as community referrals, allow medical professionals to recommend patients to local, non-clinical activities. Lyons was encouraged to learn that fishing as a therapeutic treatment wasn’t just anecdotal but had academic backing as well.

“We have been told on numerous occasions by our service users that if it were not for the fishing sessions, they don’t think they’d be alive today,” said Lyons. “To now have scientific evidence to back up what we’ve been saying all along is unbelievable, to say the least. The wider implications this research will have, not only in the angling sector, but also in mental health provision, will be amazing to see.”

In 2025, after 2,300 people had been prescribed a day of fishing through Tackling Minds, Lyons received The King’s Award for Voluntary Service from Buckingham Palace. Tackling Minds received the award announcement as the organization celebrated its fifth anniversary and recent expansion into another region of the country.

- YouTube youtu.be

“This is the recognition for the outstanding work of our volunteers who are the backbone of our organization, and give up their time to support other people’s mental health and well-being,” said Lyons on Tackling Minds’ YouTube channel.

The UK isn't the only place you can get fishing therapy

Fishing to address mental health concerns and create community isn’t limited to the United Kingdom. There are a few organizations in the United States that offer similar services and programs. Angling Mental Health is similar to Tackling Minds in that it offers free equipment and coaching for angling excursions for kids to improve mental health. American veterans are offered friendship, mentorship, healing, and fly fishing through Project Healing Waters. Men suffering from loneliness and battling mental health problems can find people to help and friends to fish with through Fishing the Good Fight.

@life_safety

#fishing #mentalhealth #mensmentalhealth #depression #anxiety

If you’re going through a rough time and could use a few friends, you may want to do some research to find a fishing organization near you and grab a pole. Whether you catch a fish or not, you're sure to reel in something good.

addictionanxietydepressiondisabilityfishingprescription medicationprofessional helptherapy sessionstreatment plansunited kingdommental health

The Latest

music, health benefits of music, seniors, dementia, dementia risk
Health

If you're a music junkie over age 70, you may have a lower risk of dementia

fishing, mental health, social prescriptions, depression, anxiety
Health

UK gives King’s Award to man starting a fishing program to tackle depression and anxiety

friendship, sociology, psychotherapy, lifelong friendship, reciprocation
Health

Professor shares how many years a friendship must last before it'll become lifelong

tasty food, awful food, food, preparation, cooks, kitchen, personal choice, delicious choices
Culture

5 foods that swing wildly between ‘best thing ever’ and ‘absolutely awful’

More For You

Robin Williams, quotes, depression, mental health, Good Will Hunting, Dead Poets Society, loneliness, suicide prevention, World's Greatest Dad, inspiration

Robin Williams performs at the 2008 USO World Gala in Washington, D.C.

Chad J. McNeeley, U.S. Navy via Wikimedia Commons

7 beautiful quotes about depression from the great Robin Williams

It has been over a decade since the world lost Robin Williams, a comedic force of nature whose energy seemed inexhaustible. When he took his own life in 2014 after battles with depression and Lewy body dementia, the silence that followed was deafening. How could the man who brought us the Genie, Mrs. Doubtfire, and Mork be in such pain?

But looking back at his vast body of work—from his frantic stand-up sets to his tender dramatic roles—it is clear that Williams possessed a profound understanding of the human condition. He didn't just make us laugh; he made us feel seen, especially those of us who have struggled with our own darkness.

Keep ReadingShow less
color test, Lenstore, color perception, visual test, tricky test, online challenge, color blindness, Israel Abramov, men vs women, age

A spectrum of various colors

Canva

This 'impossible' 10-question color test is so tough that only 1 percent of people can ace it

A deceptively simple online challenge is making the rounds online, and it's proving to be nearly impossible for most people. The 10-question color test, created by UK-based eye care company Lenstore, seems easy: just distinguish between different hues and place them in the correct order on the spectrum.

The reality? It's incredibly difficult. According to Lenstore, less than 1% of the first 2,000 people who took the challenge managed to score a perfect 10/10.

Keep ReadingShow less
peak functionality, age, aging, age discrimination, older people

New research says you haven't peaked in your 20s.

Photo credit: Canva

Researchers reveal the age most hit their 'functional peak' and it's not their 20s

We are a culture obsessed with youth. There are ads upon ads to help maintain a youthful look through makeup or hair restoration. The pressure to keep up with the next generation bombards everyone. There are people in their mid-life who yearn to be young again. However, new research reveals that folks deep in their 30s haven’t even reached their peak potential yet.

Recent research by Gilles Gignac from the University of Western Australia and Marcin Zajenkowski from the University of Warsaw found that while people in their 20s do have maximum physical capability and brain processing speed, most people hit their functional peak around 60 years old.

Keep ReadingShow less
fart walking, post-meal walk, digestion, gas relief, blood sugar, type 2 diabetes, after-dinner stroll, la passeggiata, shatapawali, gut health, light exercise, health trends, microbiome, viral trend, swearing benefits, nose picking, saliva cleaning, dental health, amylase enzyme, mucus

Going on a slow "fart walk" after dinner provides several health benefits.

Photo credit: Canva

Doctors say the ‘fart walk’ trend could help you live longer

When cookbook author and influencer Marilyn Smith discussed “fart walking” on her Instagram, she couldn’t have expected the concept to blow up as it did. Social media is abound with several posts with, "#fartwalk join in on the trend of taking a walk after dinner in order to better release intestinal gas and aid in digestion." While this crude method is a jokey trend, doctors are saying that fart walking can actually improve your life.

According to Dr. Tim Tiutan, an internal medicine physician at New York City’s Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, fart walking does more than just help you better digest your meals. In an Instagram reel, Dr. Tiutan states that going on a five to ten-minute walk after eating can help prevent blood sugar from spiking, thus lowering the risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes.

Keep ReadingShow less
worries, worry window, therapy tip, stress relief, therapeutic

Experts aren't saying "don't worry" but do say "worry for a half hour."

Photo credit: Canva

Experts say this daily 30-minute or less technique stops your worries from running wild

It’s human to feel worry and concern; however, many people can drown in it. One worry can lead to another, then another, and another, further until it overtakes your mind. “Just don’t worry about it,” well-meaning friends say. Yeah. Sure. Has that ever actually worked? But what if it’s the opposite? What if part of the solution to stop worrying is to worry? At least, for a little while.

For worrywarts and people who struggle with anxiety, experts and therapists recommend adopting a daily “worry window” or ”worry time” habit to combat worrying throughout the day.

Keep ReadingShow less
anxiety tips, sour candy, grounding techniques, mental health, anxiety management

Make anxiety pucker up.

Photo credit: Canva

Psychologists say an effective tool to fight off anxiety can be found in the candy aisle

Modern life can easily riddle a person with anxiety. Getting bills paid, making a good first impression, meeting a work deadline, and so many other things can make a person feel extra anxious. Fortunately, there are many techniques to help manage anxiety, plus one that many psychologists recommend, which seems a little out there. Their recommendation doesn’t come from a pharmacy but can be easily found at any grocery or convenience store. You just have to be willing to pucker up a little.

“Sour candy is an easy way to use distraction to pull yourself out of an anxiety spiral and interrupt your thoughts,” licensed psychotherapist Ciara Bogdanovic of Sagebrush Psychotherapy tells GOOD. “Additionally, it creates a moment of mindfulness and presence as it anchors you back to the here and now through the strong and hard-to-ignore flavor and sensations that come up when eating sour candy.”

Keep ReadingShow less
sleep divorce, separate bedrooms, couples sleep, older couples, snoring, mismatched schedules, night owl, morning person, sleep quality, intimacy, cuddling, relationship health, sleep hygiene, sleep poll, National Sleep Foundation, AASM survey, Dr Joseph Cilona, Reddit relationships, separate beds, marriage advice

More and more older couples are sleeping in different rooms.

Photo credit: Canva

Older couples share why they happily sleep separately, younger couples are taking note

For many people, having a partner in bed with you is a great way to end your day and go to sleep. Aside from the physical activity, it can be nice to share a warm bed and snuggle up with a person you love to release feel-good chemicals through cuddling, have a second body to help warm up the bed, and feel connected with your partner.

However, many older couples are routinely sleeping independently without any issue. Why is that? Well, many younger folks have gone to Reddit to ask older people why they’ve decided to stay together yet sleep alone with their spouses or partners.

Keep ReadingShow less
peanut allergies, pediatricians, allergies, child care, peanuts

Exposing babies to peanuts early could actually reduce the risk of an allergy.

Photo credit: Canva

Feeding babies peanuts helped over 40,000 kids avoid a troubling health trend

A decade ago, a rising health concern affecting children into adulthood still lingers today: peanut allergies. A study released in 2010 by researchers at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine found that cases of peanut allergies tripled between 1997 to 2008. In 2015, new evidence emerged that reduced peanut allergy cases, not by delaying the introduction of peanut products until age three as previously recommended, but by feeding them to children as infants. A decade later, the results showed that it worked.

In humans, peanut allergies occur when the immune system mistakenly recognizes the protein in peanuts as harmful. There is a wide range of peanut allergy symptoms; some people experience digestive problems, while others break out in hives. The most severe symptoms include dramatic drops in blood pressure and anaphylaxis. Anaphylaxis can cause difficulty breathing and uncontrolled vomiting, which can be fatal as swelling in the throat closes off airways and reduces intake of oxygen. Understandably, parents and adults alike grew concerned about ingestion and exposure to peanuts and peanut products at schools, playgrounds, and other public spaces.

Keep ReadingShow less
© Copyright 2025