There are many names for using nature to reduce or manage your anxiety. Forest Bathing is the Japanese practice of taking in the atmosphere of a forest through our senses. Ecotherapy is a technique to treat people by bringing them closer to nature. Wildness Cure was a nineteenth century remedy for curing the malaise of city life by seeking refuge in quieter places where fresh air was abundant.
At a time when technologically induced stress is at its highest in our workplaces and home spaces, nature therapy can help to counter your screen time with some green time. With the expansion of urban areas, more and more people are being forced to spend more and more time indoors. When they do step outside, it’s usually onto a crowded street, or a packed train, or busy highways. All of them contribute to daily stress, fatigue and anxiety.
One way to fight the fatigue and not let it develop into more severe illnesses, mental and physical, is to spend more time in nature and natural environments. The benefits are many, including enhanced positive moods, reduced depression levels, increased performance in cognitive tests, and even reduced activity in certain areas of the brain associated with worrying. In fact, studies have shown that being allowed to spend time daily in green spaces dramatically reduces incidences of assaultive behavior amongst prison inmates.
Here’s how to Add Nature Therapy to your Routine:
1. Find your Place in Nature
Think about the immediate radius around your home. Are there spaces that are calming, like parks or trails? If you’re planning to practice nature therapy everyday, it’s important to find a place that’s close to home, and that’s easily accessible.
If you’re planning to use your weekends to indulge in ecotherapy, then you might be able to expand your radius to include a nearby waterfall, or a sunny beach.
Keep in mind though, that if your drive or ride to get to your place in nature is going to be stressful, then it defeats the purpose of this practice.
2. Use your Senses
The best way to immerse yourself in a nature setting is to use all five of your senses. Listen to the leaves rustling and the birds singing. Look at the dappled sunlight on the forest floor or how it sparkles on the waves. Smell the earthy aromas after a rain or the scent of flowers and fall leaves. Dip your toes in the water and feel the texture on a tree trunk. And if you dare, taste the nectar in a honeysuckle or the saltiness of sea water.
The harmony of all five senses being active and working together will help take your mind off your worrying and shift it to a state of awareness and will enhance your connection with nature.
3. Create your Own Nature
Although the best way to indulge in forest bathing is to go to a forest, that’s not a luxury most of us have. Fortunately, there’s research suggesting that even images of soothing landscapes or expansive nature-scapes can be just as effective in inducing calm.
And don’t forget that you can also add a potted plant or two on your desk to add a bit of green to bring out the positive mood.
