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If you spend most of your week living and working in a hectic city environment, then you probably know just how tricky it can be to find the time needed to go outside and properly enjoy some greenspaces and natural environments – after all, it’s pretty hard to grow a forest in the middle of a cityscape.
However, as much as it can be difficult to fit some time in nature into our busy schedules, studies have continually shown beneficial links between going outside and improving our mental and physical well-being.
And it’s from such studies, and an explosion of interest online in a certain Japanese well-being practice, that an up-and-coming hobby is making itself known in the outdoor well-being space – forest bathing!
An activity focused purely on getting out and experiencing nature to its fullest, forest bathing has seen a surge in popularity in recent years, with plenty of experienced and new followers alike preaching its benefits.
But what is forest bathing, and are the forest bathing benefits people keep talking about actually worth looking into? Can it actually help improve your sleep or is it simply another online fad that’s soon to fade away?
Find out everything you need to know about this insightful new outdoor activity below!
What is forest bathing?
Much like how sound bathing doesn't mean filling your tub, forest bathing does not actually involve bathing in forest rivers and pools – at least not literally (though this sort of wild swimming can certainly form part of an experienced forest bather’s routine).
Instead, forest bathing is all about stepping away from the modern cityscape and immersing yourself in natural environments without any form of distraction.
Better known as Shinrin-Yoku in its native homeland of Japan, practitioners of this well-being activity dedicate time out of their day to sit and be at peace with nature, often in a forest, (hence the name).
Of course, the question you might be asking right now is “Is that it? Do I just find a spot under a tree and sit?” And to that, we say, yes! At its simplest level, that’s exactly what forest bathing is!
Ok, there’s a little bit more to it than that, but as we’ll explain later, forest bathing is a remarkably simple concept.
What are the benefits of forest bathing?
Before getting into exactly how to forest bathe, let’s talk about whether or not there’s any truth to the supposed forest bathing benefits we mentioned right at the start. And the honest answer is, yes, yes there is!
While the idea of forest bathing might seem a little far-fetched, studies have consistently shown that spending time outside in nature is a fantastic way to improve mental health and lower symptoms of anxiety. Forest bathing, in particular, is thought to be very good for this as it shares many of the same practices as yoga and meditation.
Indeed, by actively engaging in forest bathing, studies suggest that users may experience the following forest bathing benefits:
1. Lower stress levels
By far one of the most important benefits of forest bathing, research into this activity shows an increasingly strong correlation between spending time in nature and lower stress levels, including a reduction in cortisol (better known as the stress hormone).
This is thought to be the case due to the naturally calmer and still settings of outdoor spaces, which reduces the degree to which our bodies might experience the fight or flight response. Instead, such a calming space allows our nervous system to slow down properly and relax, decompressing our stress and bringing about a sense of tranquillity.
2. A healthier immune system
Alongside this reduction in cortisol, the calming effects of forest bathing are also thought to have a secondary effect of boosting your immune system through reduced levels of inflammation in the body.
While important, inflammation can also be the cause of numerous medical conditions when overstimulated. So, by lowering your stress levels, you’ll in turn lower your blood pressure and heart rate, reducing the impact of inflammation throughout your body.
3. Better sleep
As you might expect, given how we’re all about getting good sleep here at MattressNextDay, forest bathing does indeed have several associated sleep benefits that come as a byproduct of its practice.
Specifically, spending time outdoors surrounded by nature and exposed to natural light is thought to help settle your body’s internal circadian rhythm, which governs your sleep-wake cycle.
This, in turn, allows your body to better regulate its release of sleep-related hormones and reset your body clock, both by increasing melatonin production and clearing out excess cortisol.
This ensures that you feel more awake during the day and suitably tired before bed in the evening, preventing cortisol from impacting your sleep and reducing the likelihood of experiencing different types of insomnia.
And as forest bathing does not involve the use of your phone or any screens, you don’t have to worry about blue light interrupting this cycle!
4. Calmer thoughts
Last, but by no means least, forest bathing is thought to encourage your brain to stop overthinking by putting you in the present moment and giving you the time your mind needs to properly process thoughts, experiences, and emotions without constant distractions.
As a result, and as with all types of meditation, your mind will feel that much calmer, which in turn can lead to a boost in your mood and mental health levels, providing you with the mental bandwidth and recharge necessary to deal with life’s daily stresses.
What is the best way to go forest bathing?
Now that we’ve touched on the main benefits of forest bathing, let’s talk about how to actually go about engaging with this activity if you want to get as much from this experience as possible.
First things first, you’ll want to wear loose-fitting and comfortable clothing that will keep you warm, but that you don’t mind getting dirty. Forest bathing is all about being comfortable so the last thing you want is to be wearing restrictive clothing.
Next, find a pair of outdoor shoes that you’re happy to get muddy, and are ideally heavy enough to allow you to sink a little into the ground as you walk. Make sure these shoes are waterproof too so that your feet stay nice and dry.
From here, head to your nature space of choice and take a slow walk. As you walk, take the time to engage your core senses, specifically sight, touch, sound, and smell, (you could taste as well but we’d advise against it), and notice how these differ. Focus on the different sounds you hear, the different scents you smell, how the trees and plants differ from each other and how their textures feel to touch.
The idea is that, by doing this, you’ll gradually open your mind up to your surroundings, pulling attention away from whatever is stressing you and focusing instead on the here and now.
Should you be so inclined, you can also find a comfortable spot to sit and really focus on your surroundings, or you can simply stick to a walk – whatever feels right to you in the moment.
And again, remember, throughout all of this, you should not be using your phone – not even to take pictures! The whole point of forest bathing is to engage in nature with no distractions, and there is no bigger distraction for any of us in the modern day than our phones!
How often should you go forest bathing?
Having read all of this, you may very well be thinking “Well, that sounds good and all, but I don’t have a spare hour every day to dedicate to strolling in a forest.” And it’s a fair point, what with the majority of our days taken up by work, travel, or essential family time.
Fortunately, studies on forest bathing show that as little as 2 hours a week can be enough to start seeing tangible benefits from this sort of activity, and that 2 hours does not have to be in one go.
So, if you’ve not got time in the week to go for a long walk, then you can just wait till the weekend. Or, alternatively, you can split your forest bathing up throughout the week in manageable chunks that fit around your daily schedule – whatever works best for you!
Where are the best spots in the UK for forest bathing?
There are many locations throughout the UK which are perfect for anyone looking to try forest bathing for the first time. For example, the Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire and Anagach Woods in the Scottish Highlands are particularly popular locations for regular bathers.
However, if you don’t live near these locations then it’s obviously not feasible for you to travel to these specific areas every day or weekend. So, instead, the best spots in the UK for forest bathing are whatever nature areas are close to you.
Whether this is a literal nature reserve that’s a short drive away or a small, wooded area in your local neighbourhood, find the most feasible nature areas for you to travel to and work visiting them into your weekly schedule.
Prioritising your future sleep
With our final points covered, you should now have more than enough of an understanding of forest bathing to go out there and try it for yourself! From a solo adventure into the woods to a calming walk with friends and family, we highly encourage anyone who can make the time to touch grass and give this new well-being activity a go!
Of course, as beneficial as forest bathing might be for our mental health and improving our sleep, if you’re going to bed each night on an old mattress and creaky bed frame, then you’re definitely not going to be getting proper rest.
Fortunately, we have plenty of mattresses and bed frames on offer in the MattressNextDay range from plenty of the top brands. Start browsing today to see what great deals you can find and don’t forget to make use of our next-day and free delivery options to start enjoying your mattress as soon as possible.
