Can forest bathing help us? We are living in turbulent times, and many of us feel overwhelmed, hopeless, and self-critical. We might feel we need to get professional help, medication, or do something really stringent to feel better. But one of the best ways to lower stress and improve your emotional and mental state is to spend a few minutes connecting with nature, and there are ways even in the middle of a city. Let us look at how and why. Mental ill-health is a common cause of disease worldwide. It’s rising rapidly, especially in the pandemic we are going thru now. Consequently, identifying ways to treat depression and anxiety is essential. Enter “forest bathing,” also called green care, ecotherapy, and green exercising. It’s all about getting outside and enjoying the great outdoors, which is expected to be one of the biggest wellness trends in 2021.
Magical
It’s something magical with feeling the earth underneath our feet, almost playful. Research has shown that we don’t experience training outdoors as demanding as inside. We could then actually train harder without knowing it. Think about it, a few kilometers walk outside in nature is easy but the same on a treadmill is quite tedious. Many studies have shown innumerable benefits of spending time outdoors like better mental sharpness, reduced anxiety, lower stress levels, and increased job satisfaction, just to name a few.
Shinrin-yoku
The Japanese believe in a calming ritual they call shinrin-yoku, which literally means forest bathing. It simply means spending time among the trees. A study of 280 people showed that doing this reduced cortisol levels, reduced heart variability, and lower blood pressure. Another study showed that the phytoncides trees secrete can reduce stress levels, improve sleep quality, improve mood and well-being, and increase heart rate variation, which is a sign of lower stress levels. There is also evidence that forest baths increase natural killer cells’ activity, which is part of the immune system’s protection against infection.
Indigenous people.
Experiencing beautiful natural places relaxes you and recharges your batteries. Forest bathing is not new and builds on the knowledge of indigenous people from around the world who use the healing powers of nature and honor mother earth. They know that nothing heals us like nature. That should come as no surprise at all, especially when you consider that humans have bonded closely with nature for our entire exitance. Today, of course, we tend to spend more time in man-made environments than beautiful natural ones. And that’s why we feel so good and become so awed when we return to nature. It’s a homecoming of sorts.
Connected to nature
Forest bathing studies are revealing impressive results about the benefits of connecting with nature. Researcher Rachel Kaplan found that “office workers who had a view of nature from a window reported higher job and life satisfaction than those who did not have such a view.” Psychologist Terry Hartig conducted a study where participants completed a 40-minute cognitive task designed to mentally fatigue them. Participants were then randomly assigned 40 minutes to be spent “walking in a nature preserve, walking in an urban area or sitting quietly while reading magazines and listening to music.” The group who walked in the nature preserve reported less anger and more positive emotions than the other two groups. A University of Essex study found that 90 percent of people suffering from depression experienced higher self-esteem after a walk in nature, and nearly 75 percent felt less depressed. A similar study conducted by the mental health charity organization Mind showed “a nature walk reduced symptoms of depression in 71% of participants, compared to only 45% of those who took a walk through a shopping center.”
So what benefits can forest bathing provide?
- Lowered blood pressure
- Reduced depressive symptoms
- Lower stress levels
- Improved sleep quality
- Lower levels of hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol
- Better memory and ability to concentrate
- Lower blood sugar level
- Improved immune system
- Increased creativity
Are there different ways to benefit?
Preferably we should spend some time in nature every day. If we do it in the morning, it will help set the sleep cycles, making it easier to sleep. Nature also allows us to distance ourselves a little from the “noise” of everyday life. It urges us to look beyond ourselves. The sound of the waves and the song of the birds can be very soothing. We all know this. But researchers in the UK have proven this a swell. Just looking at nature makes us recover faster after a stressful experience. This was confirmed in a study where half of a group was exposed to big city views and the rest to nature views after a stressful experience. Those exposed to natural views had higher heart rate variation and were more easily put into a state of well-being. Nature has also proven to help with the creative process. One study found that our problem-solving ability and creativity improve by as much as 50% if we spend time in nature.
How can you take nature home?
Do you have to live in the countryside with access to lush forests and vast rolling fields to benefit? Maybe you live in an urban environment without access to green parks. Here are some tips you can use to absorb nature in other ways:
- If you have a yard, step outside and watch the trees, the branches, the plants and listen to the birds or other sounds.
- If you do not have a patio, but a balcony, add plenty of plants and herbs there.
- If you do not have a balcony, bring plenty of potted plants indoors and in the windows.
- Use a nature image as a screensaver on your computer and phone.
- Hang nature pictures in your home. Preferably sea, mountains, and forests.
- You can even watch nature films. I love filmmaker Louie Schwartzberg; check him out here: HTTPS://MOVINGART.COM/MOVING-ART-SEASON-THREE-SOUNDTRACK/ or on Netflix movie: Moving art
- Immerse yourself with nature sounds, and there are lots to choose from on YouTube and other streaming sites like Spotify. Get comfy, close your eyes, and listen to the waves breaking or the birds singing.
It seems clear that nature is good for our health in more ways than we can imagine or understand. So, why not head outside and enjoy the great outdoors. And best of all, it’s free!