The Naked Truth – It’s all in the mind 

There is no doubt at all that, during the two years of Covid 19 issues, the entire world was changed forever. We lost so much during that time, but the thing that hit most people hardest was the total loss of freedom. For weeks on end we sat at home, unable to see family and friends, separated from our loved ones, with no prospect of any visitors to cheer us up….  but, that also gave so many people the idea, and the perfect opportunity, to experiment with naturism. 

With no prospect of an unexpected knock at the door and, particularly in the first lockdown, some unseasonably hot weather, millions of people suddenly had no reason to get dressed – so they didn’t. During this time British Naturism saw a surge in online requests for information and their membership numbers soared. Was this just because fate had given people the chance to “try it out”, or was there more to this than meets the eye? 

The sudden freedom to be naked, contrasted against the total lack of freedom that was imposed on the country, gave many people a “mental boost” that helped deal with the feeling of being “trapped”. The constriction of lockdown was, for many people, eased by the feeling of “openness” that being naked in your own home can bring.  

This positive feeling, when all around was so negative, helped millions of people to cope with lockdown and eased the pressure that such uncertainty about the future brought to us all. Having the newfound “freedom”, and the excitement of a new lifestyle choice, was a massive diversion, and helped some people to prevent the mental health problems prevalent in others. 

There have been many studies, both pre and post “lockdown”, that have examined the link between nudism and mental health, and the results are very interesting. They show that people with a naturist background, no matter how long, have less body image issues, have a more positive outlook on life, suffer less from stress and anxiety and, I believe most importantly, have a much better sleep pattern. 

They also noted that, although all these factors exist in solo nudists, they are multiplied in people who share their naked lifestyle with other nudists. The community is, overall, very much less judgemental than society at large and, with this atmosphere of acceptance, comes a very calming influence on the rest of what life throws at you. 

Being able to share time with like-minded people, in a non-judgemental atmosphere, is what makes naturism so attractive to so many people. In the many documentaries and news reports that have covered the naturist lifestyle, the reporter (almost always) ends the piece with something like “I was terrified of being seen naked at first, but after a few minutes I realised that we all have things about our body that we wish were different, but that it doesn’t matter” – and they are right.     

Very few people are totally happy with how they look, especially naked. We all wish that some parts were smaller, bigger, thinner, fatter, less wrinkly or just generally easier to look at – but because we ALL have them, their significance is greatly diminished. We are who we are and, when we are naked together, we are all (pretty much) the same. Whether someone is a brain surgeon, an office manager, a cleaner, a carer or retired, nudity is a great leveller and that too eases the mental pressures that are associated with today’s ultra-competitive and image conscious world.  

So, here’s an idea, try it. Next time you get out of the bath or shower, don’t rush to get dressed. Pop to the kitchen and make a cuppa, watch the latest episode of your favourite TV show, or maybe even have a meal – but do it naked. Feel the freedom that so many felt doing those things in lockdown but enjoy them even more knowing that you are choosing to enjoy them, when you have the choice to do other things, and not just because you’re in lockdown. 

Paul Scott.