The Breakthrough
How forest bathing will change your life...
Forest bathing.
Forest.
Bathing.
Now that you’ve read that with zero context, I expect that you are one of two types of people. Did you imagine the bathhouses in every old western? Or did you remember that time on Housewives when Jen Shah lost it in the desert bathtubs?
Either way, neither of those have anything at all to do with forest bathing.
The most important thing to know is that forest bathing chills you the -F- out. It boosts your immune function, because- Trees. Are. Awesome. It improves your mood in fancy scientific ways. My favorite fact though is that it can reduce your anxiety basically immediately by like 27%.
But- what is it?
It is so simple it’s going to blow your mind. Forest bathing is when you emerge your whole body, your entire being into an experience where all of your senses are utilized in intentional ways… but, in the forest.
It comes from the Japanese practice known as Shinrin-yoku. Again, you’re thinking “cool, ancient Japanese medicine” but no, more like a public health initiative brought to you by the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries. To chill people the -F-out. And, it worked.
Think of it as a slow-paced walk into a forest like area (“the woods” if you’re from the south). The only objective is peace. We are being intentional about acknowledging each of our senses as we use them. It is not about distance, or time. It is not like hiking where there is a set destination. The idea is simply to absorb, and to “be” exactly where you are.
So, lets take a little metaphorical trip into the woods. Change your shoes and leave the phone. In fact, take off the smart watch too, find an old watch that does nothing except gives you a vague idea of time.
We’re going to be spending two hours getting our life together doing almost nothing. We are going to exist in the peaceful cocoon of nature. I hate to assume what you may be thinking but lets be honest, were a society of impatient people, you want to know how we will fill two hours, am I right? We’re going to exist friend, just exist.
Take one step and then another, as we leisurely stroll were going to take some deep breaths. Feel how air your breathing feels fresher, how you get scents of the forest, there are so many scents present. Is the air more crisp as it fills up your lungs?
As you walk glide one hand over the bark of a tree, feel the textures, now compare it to another tree, feel the leaves, some are soft while others are tough.
Listen as you walk, can you hear your own steps? Acknowledge each individual sound. Do you hear animals scurrying? Birds chirping? Do you hear the leaves rustle as the wind blows through them?
Take in the imagery piece by piece, every color, the variations of green or brown and the brightness of the various plants and flowers (depending on the season).
While you are walking make each step deliberate. Remember there is NO destination, no “steps to get in.” This is about observation, and doing it as slow as possible.
For bonus points here you can try some grounding techniques, feel the way your body connects with the earth in this moment.
We have an awareness as we observe but we do not need to analyze, we just need to “be.” I know, this makes me want to get all “we’re just a tiny piece of dust floating in the universe” too but that will distract us from our peace. Quit with the mind wandering and concentrating on NOT thinking too hard.
Now that we have explored our senses let’s acknowledge what you need. If you seek calm and reduced anxiety levels you will find a cedar tree, it will be tall, perhaps over 150 feet. Its leaves are like needles, but they are soft to the touch in sprays of bright green to blue green. They smell sweet and woody The bark will be reddish brown.
If it’s mental fatigue you want to diminish, seek out an Oak tree. Bonus it releases your negative ions. It will have a massive trunk and dense foliage creating shared. Its branches will appear twisted, the bark deep gray or brown, thick, rough and often in the shapes of diamonds. It produces acorns and leaves that are leathery and firm. Perhaps a Birch tree will pop up, it’s a great detoxifier and an anti-inflammatory. Pine trees improve raspatory issues and relieve stress and Cyprus trees are good for immune support.
So, are you in or what?
What if I reiterate all the health benefits and then added a few more cool ones? Could you find two hours in your week to go “forest bathing?” While we immerse ourselves in the environment, we are experiencing all the benefits of sunshine, we are walking on soil that can stimulate our serotonin production, we are reducing negative self-thought.
If we combine forest bathing with some of the tools we already use in CBT therapy and mindfulness exercises we’ve basically hit the therapy jackpot.
This has motivated me to look into tree house therapy space. I hope this has motivated you to take a walk in the woods.
The Breakdown
Micro-habits are winning 2025
It's 2025; is everyone else over the idea of "resolutions?" or what?
I've never consistently participated in this practice, but I have found its broadness troublesome. There is this pressure for the resolution to be a bit… grand. Meanwhile, I'm a realist; I know I will not suddenly become a gym rat after twenty years of living this potato life. Then, there is a delusion that an arbitrary day will cause us to suddenly invest in ourselves in a way we had not previously. The new year began on a Wednesday, friends. Are we changing all our behaviors on a Wednesday?
So, the trend goes, we make a grand declaration: "2025 will be my year!" within the month, we persist in disappointing ourselves. 2025 is officially shit because I ate sugar today. As therapists, we know it's unhealthy to break the promises you make to yourself. It's all dopamine reward system-related; you learn not to trust yourself. For this reason, I continue on my path of making zero resolutions.
I hereby declare that 2025 is the year of micro habits. Habits take 21 days to become routine. I have personally sneaked in several micro habits that, two weeks in, are continuing to be successful. A micro habit is taking a more significant thing and breaking it down into more minor, manageable things. I am not promising myself that I will go from no water to 64 ounces a day, but I am having water with my meds first thing in the morning.
I'm not holding myself to an unrealistic standard; I'm not setting myself up for failure. Think of a micro habit as not a "change" but an "adjustment." A five-to-fifteen-minute alteration to your usual schedule. A short walk after meals, two minutes on cold water at the end of your shower, turning your phone on a grayscale so you limit scrolling, or adding a five-minute meditation after your workout.
I knew I wouldn't turn into a gym rat, but I have been able to do a short kettlebell workout most mornings. I am not kicking myself over failing at a broad, unreachable goal. I am learning that being habitual is paying off. My body's dopamine reward system is working just fine.
The year is salvageable, and I'm not a failure.
Cheers to micro habits in 2025.
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