More than a thousand studies (and growing) show that time spent in nature can have a reset effect, washing away the anxieties and stresses of everyday life. A 2019 study published in Current Directions in Psychological Science , for instance, found that exposure to natural environments improves memory, cognitive flexibility, and attentional control, while a 2022 study published in Cities & Health found that walking in an urban park can improve mood. There's even a name for time intentionally spent in nature—forest bathing.
"Forest bathing has been shown to benefit the nervous system, heart rate , and blood pressure, and those things touch a lot of other medical issues," says Rosanne Sheinberg, Med '06 (MD), a cardiothoracic anesthesiologist who has prescribed time in nature to her patients. "Our mental health affects every aspect of our life and immune system." Rooted in Japanese culture, where it's called shinrin-yoku, forest bathing refers to taking in the forest atmosphere.
The focus is not on exercise but rather on connecting with nature through the senses. Instead of setting out on a trail run, it's walking slowly, taking in your surroundings, breathing in the dewy air. Can you smell the pine trees? Hear the leaves rustling in the wind and the birds chirping overhead? What does it feel like to touch the bark or a mushroom growing on a tree? In 1982, Japan launched a national program to encourage forest bathing as a way to reduce burnout and promote a connection with na.
