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You might look into talking walks in a local forest preserve if you have one nearby. There's a name for this as it applies to relieving stress, "Forest Bathing"
by oblib 5y ago
You might look into talking walks in a local forest preserve if you have one nearby. There's a name for this as it applies to relieving stress, "Forest Bathing" which is based on the Japanese practice of "shinrin-yoku".
I started doing this back in the mid `80s in Los Angeles because I was stressed something awful. I can say it does work for me and I noticed it right away. That was long before I heard about shinrin-yoku.
When I started doing this I would look for a good place with lots of trees and fresh air, a creek or stream was always good, and I'd pack a small day bag with water and some snacks, a beer and a bud, and go meander around. I'd find a secluded spot to sit and relax for a spell and maybe explore some more or just stay put and soak it in. If you sit still for awhile the forest critters start coming out and doing what they do and it can be a pretty relaxing thing to just sit there and do nothing but observe that.
Here's a link to an article about shinrin-yoku. I'm sure there are quite a few articles about it to be found and I just picked one that seemed to fit the bill. Some of them I've read include some reasoning for how and why this works. All I can say is it worked for me and still does: https://www.rei.com/blog/hike/theres-no-running-in-forest-bathing https://www.rei.com/blog/hike/theres-no-running-in-forest-ba...
- alexanderjchun 5y agoThis reminds me of a time I sat outside a cabin in Big Bear looking at the snowy mountain range. It was crazy how vast and white it was. Maybe I just need to go outside.
- oblib 5y agoWe, as a society, are bombarded with things that are distressing and the past year has been just over the top with stressful noise. I made a point to get outside and away from the constant stress I was experiencing back in the `80s. I was lucky to live near Malibu Creek St Park when it first opened. The first few years almost no one went there and in the winter and early spring it was green and lush and the creek was running and for the most part I had it all to myself. I noticed right away how much better I felt after spending even just a few hours there. It let me get rid of the grinding tenseness and truly calm down and relax. It was so noticeable that at first I kind of felt guilty afterwards for taking time for myself. But then I realized there was more to it than that. It's not just mental, it's a very physical difference in how you feel. It's replenishing something that's lacking physically. That's the best way I can describe it.
- alexanderjchun 5y agoAwesome. I'm in San Diego and it's almost always nice out. I'm about to head out and get to it now that I'm done replying to everyone's tips. Thanks!