Relaxing in the woods may reduce the risk of developing anxiety and depressive disorders. Scientists in Japan compared the physical signs of stress in city and forest settings. They studied the levels of stress hormone (cortisol) and blood pressure in 300 people, and found that spending time in the woodsy setting was associated with fewer signs stress (1).

In the book Breaking Through Depression, I describe the links between prolonged stress, cortisol elevation, anxiety, and depression. In the simplest way, it can be said that chronic high stress damages the brain which may lead to depression.

We all have a lot to do this month – many things to manage in our work and personal lives. So how do we reduce the risk of stress injuries in the brain which may lead to or worsen depression?

One answer appears to be spending some time in the woods. Relax. Enjoy the green colors of summer, the yellow leaves of fall, and the curiously bare trees of winter. As you focus on the novelties of nature, forgetting about problems with work and relationships, your mind and body relax… Be calm… Be quiet… Enjoy the beauty of nature for a while.

(1) Bum Jin Park, and others. The physiological effects of Shinrin-yoku (taking in the forest atmosphere or forest bathing): evidence from field experiments in 24 forests across Japan. Environmental Health Preventative Medicine. Jan 2010; 15(1): 18–26.

(2) Donald Hall. Breaking Through Depression. Harvest House, 2009.