Health Promotion - Improve your mental well-being with forest bathing and fall into wellness
September 9, 2021 - Jointly written by Strengthening the Forces and Charissa McKay Health Promotion Specialist
Forest bathing has been gaining in popularity recently as a form of contemplative nature therapy based on the Japanese practice of “shinrin-yoku.”
Forest bathing is a type of meditative practice where you immerse yourself in nature around you, via your senses of sight, sound and touch. Forest bathing is an antidote to what Richard Louv calls “nature deficit disorder” where we spend less and less time outdoors and lose our valuable connection to nature and all the benefits it provides.
According to nearly 40 years of research, forest bathing is an evidence-based wellness practice that has led to improvements in attention span, self-discipline and physical fitness. Time spent in nature is associated with decreased stress, improved mood, feelings of awe and reduced fatigue. Compared to urban walks, forest walks show a decrease in cortisol, a hormone produced when stressed, and a decrease in blood pressure and heart rate.
Forest bathing is all about the art of slowing down. Walk slowly, with intention, and engage all of your senses; notice the trees, smell the air, feel the breeze, feel the earth beneath your feet. Stop occasionally, close your eyes, breathe deeply and exhale slowly. Leave the electronics behind or turn off your phone so you can really tap into what forest bathing has to offer.
We encouraged many outdoor activities during our Summer Fueled by Nature Challenge. Though the days are getting shorter and the temperatures are starting to cool down a bit, there is still lots of time to take advantage of the benefits of being outdoors. From increased happiness, to mindfulness to a quick mood boost in the middle of the day, get outside into nature, and go for a walk and prove the science right! It’s that easy to relieve stress, get energized, and improve your mental well-being.
Join us for our Fall into Wellness Challenge, where we encourage you not just to develop the habit of getting outside to enjoy nature, but to think about all those other habits that you have been meaning to start.
Download our Habit Tracker from our CAFConnection page and choose a couple of habits you would like to practise. We have broken it down to physical health (walking, forest bathing, weight training, getting up to move every hour etc.), mental/emotional (gratitude, relaxation, five-minute stretch break, etc.), social/connection (volunteer, meet up with a friend, join a club, etc.) and your choice – so whatever thing has been nagging at you that you want to do, start or be better at.
Each section has 30 days marked so you can choose the frequency and determine if it is going to be something like walking or drinking enough water (daily), regular weight training (three times a week) or joining a book club (once a week). Mark off the times that you hit your target and see those good habits start to translate into feeling better and being better.
The challenge will run for September and October, so when you have completed one or both months, take a picture and email it to us at healthpromotionedmonton@forces.gc.ca or pop in the mail:
Health Promotion
PO Box 10500 Stn Forces
Edmonton AB
T5J 4J5
or a 1,000-miler to our office at Health Promotion, Bldg. 161, Room 29.