Forest Therapy

by Sarah Ivens

  Studies have found that people who feel grateful for life take better care of their physical health. They feel lucky, but they don’t want to push that luck, so they exercise regularly and go for regular check-ups with their doctors.

  A study in Applied Psychology: Health and Wellbeing journal revealed that writing down a few positive sentiments before going to bed helped people sleep deeper and longer as well—another massive health hit.

  Autumn flowers

  These blooms are abundant at this time of the year and symbolic of the season, so treat your home—and yourself—to a posy if you can this autumn:

  Aster

  Autumn-flowering clematis

  Chrysanthemums

  Hydrangea

  Kate, 30

  “Growing up, I lived near a lake and would find myself out there most days, whether I was swimming or fishing or taking out the row boat. The lake during the summer was fun and exciting, but the lake in the autumn was always my favorite. I can remember long walks I would take around the lake, with the leaves changing from green to yellow to red to brown and then falling. I can remember the quiet at night when no one was there: a serene and peaceful experience that always made me feel more whole. Looking back on my childhood, the lake during the autumn was my way of escaping and enjoying the ever-changing beauty of nature. The crisp air would reinvigorate me, and the surrounding scenery would lift my spirits—as it still does to this day whenever I return home.”

  MINDFULNESS MINUTE

  Get comfortable outdoors somewhere, on a soft bed of leaves preferably, close your eyes and sink your body into the earth. Imagine—or perhaps feel in real life—leaves falling from the trees and covering you with the lightest touches. Imagine their gentle sway to and fro, the seesawing of the different warm shades. Orange, gold, brown, red. As the leaves fall to the ground and rest, feel yourself enter a restful state.

  6

  Winter Wonderland

  I wonder if the snow loves the trees and fields, that it kisses them so gently? And then it covers them up snug, you know, with a white quilt; and perhaps it says, “Go to sleep, darlings, till the summer comes again.”

  Lewis Carroll

  Snow flurries and snow crystals, parties and gingerbread houses, classic movies and cheesy music, wrapping up presents and wrapping up warm, silly games and string lights. Winter is the time of fairy tales. Mother Nature paints herself in glitter and welcomes in the mythical creatures of the season, while hibernating animals hole up in her warm ground and cozy tree trunks.

  I remember as a child, watching my smoky breath unfurl in the chilly morning air on my walk to school, pretending to ice skate across the shimmering pavement as the bare branches overhead twinkled with icicles. My eyeballs were dazzled by the festive beauty of it all, the luster of frozen pearls turning my world into a life-sized snow globe. Winter is truly the season that Mother Nature becomes a Hollywood screen siren, the globe her sound stage. Loving her moment in the spotlight, the great outdoors becomes the bedazzling location for all that glistens and gleams. To hide indoors would mean missing out.

  Winter is snow excuse to stay indoors!

  You may be wanting to get hygge-y with it, because—brrrrrr!—frostbite, but you’d be missing out on the magic and sparkle, and feel-good benefits, of bracing the cold and stepping out into the brittle air of this season. Things like:

  • Exposure to cold weather will increase your energy for hours afterwards. Just a short walk outside at lunchtime will keep your inner oil fires burning through an afternoon of work or parenting. And I’m not just talking about physical energy. Cold temperatures boost decision-making abilities too.

  • You can breathe better when it’s brisk outside. The crisp, clean air of wintertime means lower ozone levels and better air quality.

  • For children, winter weather allows them to stretch their brains and different muscles. They get to play and create in new ways: igloos, snowball fights, snow angels, snowmen—and move their bodies in different directions, pulling their friends on a sled or pushing their way through sleet and slush. These new weather dilemmas also make them use their problem-solving muscles: how not to slip over on the ice, how does mom defrost the windshield, how do I climb a snowy hill? The ever-changing environment of wintertime provides constant creative challenges and stimulations.

  • Getting children—and you!—outside every day will help you to avoid some of the bacteria and viruses that can thrive in a home once the heating has to be turned on. It’s harder to pass germs to each other in cold, fresh air.

  • Pesky creatures thrive in warm climates, so expect a lockdown on annoying mosquitoes, midges, ticks and bugs as the temperature drops.

  • If you’ve ever put ice on an injury, you will know that cold temperatures reduce inflammation and swelling. So, think of winter as one giant ice pack, reducing pain and swelling all over your body. Cryotherapy—a therapy where the healing process is promoted by the body being exposed to very cold temperatures—is proven to repair muscles and reduce pain in runners and athletes.

  • From a self-esteem perspective, winter weather can give us a body-image boost. Any pressure you may feel to be bikini-ready evaporates as you focus on what your body really needs: warmth and comfort. This break from self-consciousness boosts your mood and confidence and allows you to focus on a positive fitness regime, centered on overall well-being rather than your appearance.

  • You get to challenge your mind and body with pastimes only possible at this time of the year: sledding, skiing, curling, snowboarding, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and ice fishing—adventurous pursuits that will get you engaging in the great outdoors in great new ways. Exercising is less taxing on the body in cold temperatures than when it is hot, and, according to Medicine & Science in Sports and Exercise, we’re actually better and faster athletes in cold weather.

  • This might sound a bit topsy-turvy, but you’re less likely to get sick if you venture out into the cold. Your body becomes more resilient, the cells that fight infection in the body increasing with exposure to cold.

  • You get a youthful glow by just stepping outside. No need for blusher this season, when cold weather has got your blood vessels working extra hard to give you that fresh, rosy-cheeked look.

  • Vegetable patches and farms are full of the much-maligned Brussels sprouts at this time of year. They’re never as bad as you remember, so get munching to ingest the super-powers of this cruciferous veg (other winter wonders—kale, cabbage and broccoli—are from the same family), which includes decreasing cancer risk. An 8-ounce portion of Brussels sprouts serves up 125 percent of the daily recommended allowance of vitamin C and 243 percent of daily recommended vitamin K.

  • Cold weather burns brown fat faster than warm weather, so when you feel chilled to the bone, there is a reason for it: your bones may be nearer the surface after a winter freeze. Cold weather also burns calories faster than warm weather, which is good to know as you head into the season of Baileys on ice and bowls of red and green Hershey Kisses.

  • The hazy, fiery winter sun might not be as bright and hot as it is during the other three seasons of the year, but its rays still give us a much-needed dose of vitamin D, which in turn helps to fight off SAD, depression and insomnia.

  • Lastly, if nothing else, being out and about during the cold winter months will make you really appreciate spring all the more—and you know how good feeling thankful is for you!

  Nice ice

  This is the perfect time to push yourself, literally, by pushing yourself off from the edge of an ice rink. Is it a sport? Yes, but more than that it’s a chance to be brave and let go of inhibitions and fears, to stop being clingy. Every year we get older, as adult life takes over, things become scarier, but fear can put a harness on our ability to have fun. Ice skating is a symbolically simple way to test ourselves. When I first attempted it, after two decades of not getting my skates on, I was Bambi on ice, and did a few bandy-legged circuits clinging
on to the side, a rambling, fumbling mess of “Excuse me, I’m sorry,” being looped by precocious three-year-olds. But that got boring eventually and I thought: What is the worst that can happen? A bruised bottom and ego. I let go. The rush was exhilarating. I held hands with two girlfriends and we squealed with glee. I’d done it.

  Reindeer games

  Snow and ice offers a million opportunities for outdoor fun, for young and old. Have a snowman-building race: the first one to place the hat on a finished Mr. Frosty wins. Blow bubbles on a cold day: they will be harder to pop and take on a bewitching iridescence. If it snows, go outside with some plain black paper and a magnifying glass, and look at the individual flakes and their unique patterns as they fall. Use pine cones and twigs to play tic-tac-toe on a bed of snow. Fill spray bottles with a mixture of environment-friendly food coloring and water, and get your graffiti on after a fresh snowfall. Experiment with ice—freeze pine needles, winter berries or small toys into ice balls, then dangle them outside and observe how long it takes them to thaw.

  Winter playlist

  Get moving and grooving to these ten heart-hugging, party-popping tunes, perfect for this season of home, hearth—and staying warm:

  “A Hazy Shade of Winter” by The Bangles

  “Urge for Going” by Joni Mitchell

  “I Felt the Chill Before the Winter Came” by Elvis Costello

  “Winter” by The Rolling Stones

  “A Long December” by Counting Crows

  “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out” by Bruce Springsteen

  “California Dreaming” by The Mamas and the Papas

  “It May Be Winter Outside (But in My Heart it’s Spring)” by Love Unlimited

  “Merry Christmas Everyone” by Shakin’ Stevens

  “New Year” by Sugababes

  Frosty fashion

  A tip for getting to enjoy the outdoors during winter is to dress appropriately. This might sound like common sense but, unfortunately, I know from experience that a blue sky can be misleading, and Jack Frost really can nip your toes. The key to staying healthy and snug while braving the elements during the colder months is layering and lovely fabrics. Use many thin, warm layers rather than one or two claustrophobic heavy numbers. That way you can peel off to the right degree when you hit different degrees.

  That sweaty ball of steam you become when you enter a building in winter will be less overwhelming if you can strip off efficiently. If nothing else, invest in strong, watertight boots. And pair them with woollen or fleece socks that aren’t too tight as to shut the circulation off. If you can, buy a good winter coat. Don’t go for fashion, go for timeless function, so you won’t have to shell out again for a few years.

  It’s a myth that most of your body heat escapes through the head, but it’s still a good idea to wear a hat to stop your ears freezing off. Gloves are a must—keep a few pairs all over the place (car, handbag, office desk) so that you’re never without, and if you’re embarking on an epic outdoor adventure, consider hand warmers.

  Baby, it’s cold outside—so how do you bring nature inside?

  Keep up your sylvan connections and nature-loving ways even when you’re inside this winter, with these simple tricks:

  • Nature-themed coloring books are a relaxing way to stay connected to flora and fauna while staying warm and chilling-out indoors. Or, if you’re feeling creative and want to freestyle, pull out your favorite photos of treasured nature spots and try your hand at painting or sketching them. Any kind of artistic expression like this soothes the mind.

  • Your windows can be your canvas When the weather is just too freezing to get out, or the slush is making you immobile, prop up a place in the window and look for something you love. Cloud-watching allows you to drift off into a dream, and watching a blizzard come in and settle over your street is nothing short of enchanting.

  • Bring the outside in via your postman. No, I’m not suggesting anything untoward! I mean the festive season is a great time for mail—fewer bills, more cards from loved ones and little-seen friends—so spend the time indoors really relishing this charming communication with the outdoor world, and pay it forward. Forget e-cards or emails; choose cards that lift your spirits—reindeers, log fires and snowflakes, Mother Nature is the perfect muse—and send them sealed with a loving kiss and a heartfelt message.

  • Go to a Christmas tree farm and drag a fir tree home. Plastic just isn’t the same. Then spend time decorating it with collected ornaments and trinkets from bygone years. You can also add items from the natural world: paint and glitter pinecones and acorns. Use mistletoe and ivy to make wreathes and mantelpiece decorations. Fruit also makes for pretty decorations—a kumquat and red-ribbon wreath anyone? A sprig of holly in a glass vase is a simple yet stunning addition to a coffee table.

  • Build the perfect log fire, if you can. Go out into the woods to forage for suitable sticks and small logs.

  • Create a mini nature scene in a glass bowl, with fake snow, bird ornaments and real pine cones and leaves. For a splash of color, add the deep redness of pomegranates or that stocking favorite: a tangerine. Or fill glass bowls with cranberries and balance lit tea lights on top of them for a ruby glow.

  • A collection of pint-sized pine trees make a foresty feel-good display on a dining-room table. Spray with red and gold glitter or snow-in-a-can for a whimsical look, or leave them bare in their natural state. The scent is wonderful and they look Lilliputian-lovely.

  O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree, how lovely are thy branches

  The festive season is a pretty exciting time for forest-therapy lovers—am I right? Because we get to bring a big, beautiful, fragrant, vibrant tree into our home! We get to look at it all day and all night if we want to. We get to take pictures of it, of the cat next to it, of the children decorating it. We get to sniff it. Yes, an artificial one might be symmetrical, reusable and not as messy but, merry Christmas to you—a TREE! A real tree in your house! And anyway, real trees are the best choice for Mother Earth. Fake ones are made of materials such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and metal, and cannot be recycled, so they get chucked into landfills when they’re out of favor. Real trees are harvested over a number of years, emitting oxygen and providing a habitat for wildlife, often in locations such as under power lines or on steep slopes where other crops wouldn’t grow very well. When the sad day arrives when you take your tree down (traditionally on the day after the Twelve Days of Christmas, January 7), your tree can take on another natural life as recycled mulch, compost or be moved to your backyard as a shelter for birds. Maintain the spirit of the season by hanging birdfeeders from it if the tired branches will take it.

  Can hibernation heal?

  In this socially busy season of non-stop partying, you may want to spend some time on your own, and make like a forest creature and hibernate for a while. If you’re going to hide away, make it worth it: treat yourself to thermal pajamas and toasty socks, ask for new books as holiday presents, take a break from shaving your legs, bake shortbread, drink hot cocoa and catch up on sleep. Make a corner of your home a refuge, a den, a hideout perfect for hibernating with blankets and cinnamon-scented candles. Because sometimes there are brief moments when we do need to squirrel away from society and do a dormouse.

  When you’re stuck indoors, you have more time for the deep-and-meaningfuls with loved ones. It’s okay if, for a while, in winter you venture outdoors only briefly, to head to a friend’s house for a chat or a board-game marathon, or if the dark evenings give you time to prioritize longer phone calls, Skype sessions or FaceTime catch-ups, because there is a therapeutic benefit to staying in touch this way, too. As the world falls into a sleepy state, you can unplug too. This will help you reboot your circuits for the new year ahead. Unwind, disconnect, stop worrying about work emails. Reconnect with yourself and the people you love rather than worrying about staying connected to cyberspace.

  Hibernating on particularly icy days also gives you the chance to complete the nig
gling projects of the year, the things you’ve wanted to finish for months but have placed on the back burner. Finishing them before a new, fresh year begins will give you a deeply rewarding feeling of satisfaction and achievement. You can read the pile of books that has built up on your bedside table, save all your photos properly or update your address book, which is useful for holiday-card sending.

  Winter reads

  Here are five books to get you mesmerized during a winter’s day curled up next to a log fire:

  Breakfast at Tiffany’s by Truman Capote

  Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

  The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough

  A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

  Bridget Jones’s Diary by Helen Fielding

  Don’t hide away for too long, though. An absence of natural light and the constant presence of electric lighting can throw off your internal rhythms. And, as you know by now, being out on the green scene is like having a therapist who improves every aspect of your life, and throws in plenty of vitamin D and fresh air for good luck. There’s also the social impact. Hiding away can become addictive. Saying no to friends, family and fun gets too easy after a while. But you are not a furry forest creature—you have enough food to survive the winter. So be a Santa to your soul and take the time you need to recoup from the year, then answer the phone, accept the invitation, pull on your waterproof boots and get out into the beautiful, sparkling, chilly world with your loved ones and toast it! It will be the greatest gift you could ever give yourself.