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Anxiety, stress and high cortisol: forest bathing to the rescue

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On the way home from a snorkelling trip to the beach earlier this week we stopped at Centennial Park in Sydney and were wowed by the magnificent trees. It inspired me to write this blog about forest bathing to inspire you to think about the power of nature as a simple way to give you joy and contribute to a wonderful sense of calm and peace. I was quite giddy with these feelings while there and still feel waves of awe days later when thinking about it and looking at these pictures of the Paperbark Grove and the massive Morton Bay fig trees.

We know being in nature has a psychological impact making us feel calm and relaxed, happy and joyful, and even playful. But what exactly is forest bathing and are there really physiological impacts i.e. does forest bathing simply help you feel good or does it actually lower your cortisol levels or blood pressure?

This paper, The physiological effects of Shinrin-yoku (taking in the forest atmosphere or forest bathing): evidence from field experiments in 24 forests across Japan, defines forest bathing:

The term Shinrin-yoku (taking in the forest atmosphere or forest bathing) was coined by the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries in 1982. It can be defined as making contact with and taking in the atmosphere of the forest: a process intended to improve an individual’s state of mental and physical relaxation

The above study set out to measure and clarify the physiological effects of Shinrin-yoku or forest bathing with 12 young male university students who had no history of physical or psychiatric disorders:

12 subjects walked in and viewed a forest or city area. On the first day, six subjects were sent to a forest area, and the others to a city area. On the second day, each group was sent to the other area as a cross-check.

The participants sat and viewed the landscape for 12-16 minutes and then walked in the landscape for 14-18 minutes (in one of the 24 forests and then in one of the 24 city areas on the second day).

The subjects had the following markers measured before breakfast and both before and after the walking and viewing periods:

  • salivary cortisol
  • blood pressure
  • pulse rate and
  • heart rate variability

After this surprisingly short period of viewing and walking in the forests the following results were found:

forest bathing promotes lower concentrations of cortisol, lower pulse rate, lower blood pressure, greater parasympathetic nerve activity, and lower sympathetic nerve activity

So, what we have, is more activity of the parasympathetic system i.e. more of the calming “rest and digest” activity and less activity of the sympathetic system i.e. what we term as “fight or flight” or stress activity.

The authors suggest that forest bathing “may be used as a strategy for preventive medicine” and I wholeheartedly agree.

Given that GABA can lower high pressure and calm down the “fight or flight” sympathetic system (see this animal study) I won’t be surprised when we see research showing us that forest bathing boosts GABA levels just in a similar way that yoga boosts GABA.

If you don’t have everyday access to parks, trees or forests be sure to go out of your way to make detours down nearby tree-lined streets to get some of these wonderful health benefits.

And because we know that simply looking at images of greenery and nature can have a calming and stress-reducing effect, here is a bigger version of the photo I took of the Paperbark Grove for you to enjoy looking at!

My picture of the Paperbark Grove in Centennial Park, Sydney

We were so excited to “discover” this gem and got home and googled it only to find out it’s a popular avenue for wedding parties! I’m sure you can see why!

Right next to the Paperbark Grove are three giant Moreton Bay fig trees. These trees are estimated to be older that the park, which was opened in 1888.

Here I am being “hugged” by one of them (doesn’t it take tree-hugging to another level!?)

If you’re local to Sydney or come for a visit one day, I highly recommend a trip to Centennial Park to see these magnificent trees and do your own Australian version of forest bathing. You may just see me there!

Until then, I encourage you to get outside into forests, get “hugged” by trees, hug trees and gaze up and enjoy every calming and joyous moment. It can help to lower your cortisol levels so you can be free of anxiety and it may even help to prevent anxiety!

Please do share your favorite forest bathing locations and how they make you feel.

Healing PCOS: a new book by Amy Medling

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Big congrats to my friend and colleague Amy Medling on the launch of her book this week: “Healing PCOS: A 21-Day Plan for Reclaiming Your Health and Life with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.” This is a proven 21-day diet and lifestyle plan to help women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) take back control of their health and resolve their symptoms from a certified health coach and founder of the large PCOS Diva online community.

I’m excited to share this book as a PCOS resource for you because anxiety and depression are common symptoms with PCOS – as a result of insulin resistance, low blood sugar and high cortisol:

  • In the short term, insulin resistance is at the heart of most PCOS symptoms, including infertility, obesity, hirsutism [male-pattern hair growth in women], hyperandrogenism (elevated androgen levels), chronic fatigue syndrome, immune system defects, eating disorders, hypoglycemia [low blood sugar], gastrointestinal disorders, depression, and anxiety
  • many women with PCOS may naturally have higher cortisol levels. Being overweight also increases cortisol production. Raised levels of cortisol change the way your body manages other critical hormones, putting you at risk for insulin resistance, anxiety, depression, and thyroid dysfunction.

Anxiety symptoms can also be due to low progesterone, estrogen dominance, thyroid issues, and overall inflammation.

She shares so many gems: how it’s so important to begin your healing journey by establishing your PCOS Diva mindset and practicing mindfulness; that the best movement for women with PCOS is whatever you enjoy; that the best way to overcome gym anxiety is to think like a PCOS Diva i.e. don’t wait until you have lost weight and then go; the importance of the vagus nerve and improving vagal tone.

The sections on the difficulties of getting a diagnosis, testing and medications are invaluable.

The section describing the different types of inositol when it comes to PCOS is also excellent. She writes that research suggests that women with PCOS may not be able to efficiently convert other inositols to D-chiro-inositol (DCI).

When I shared the new book announcement on Facebook, Katie Moon Bodily posted this:

I love the opening paragraph that defines what a PCOS Diva is. She is full of hope, chooses to thrive, takes charge, advocates for herself, and looks beyond physical management and also cares for her mind and spirit. I love that Amy starts with retraining the mind before she dives in to making physical changes—unless you change the way you think, the changes won’t last. Her words are full of hope and encouragement. She holds your hand through the changes so that you do t get overwhelmed and start to feel like “hey, I CAN do this!” Everything she does impresses me, and it’s so exciting to see it all compiled into one book!

I have to agree! As well as being a fabulous practical PCOS resource, it is a wonderfully hopeful and encouraging book and you can feel her warm support with you throughout the book. I really love the opening pages where Amy says this:

I deserve to be a PCOS Diva. I need to be a PCOS Diva.

A PCOS Diva is a woman with hope. She has taken charge of her health and happiness and takes steps every day to enhance both. She chooses to thrive with PCOS and is empowered by the knowledge she gathers as she educates herself about PCOS.

Here is the official blurb:

“PCOS is one of the most common hormonal disorders, and the most common cause of female infertility, affecting roughly five million American women. Because it’s symptoms are widespread—including stubborn weight gain, acne, mood swings, abnormal hair loss or growth, and irregular menstrual cycles—women suffering from PCOS are often misdiagnosed and treated with “Band-Aid” pharmaceuticals with uncomfortable side effects that only mask PCOS’s root causes. While there is no cure for PCOS, women can learn to control their symptoms naturally. In this welcome guide, Amy Medling shows how to combine an anti-inflammatory and hormone-balancing diet, daily movement, and stress-reducing self-care to successfully treat their PCOS.

Grounded in the latest medical research and filled with the knowledge she’s acquired dealing with PCOS herself and working with thousands of women, Healing PCOS offers women small, manageable steps that help alleviate their symptoms and control the inflammation, hormonal imbalance, and insulin resistance that underlie the condition. Amy’s revolutionary program consists of:

  • A 21-day anti-inflammatory, hormone-balancing and gluten-free meal plan, including meal prep and plan-ahead tips to make eating this way simple and fast
  • 85 delicious recipes—half fan favorites and half new dishes
  • Daily self-care exercises, including meditation and journaling prompts

Amy has helped tens of thousands of women with PCOS take back control of their health and their lives through lasting, healing, and sustainable lifestyle change. Whether you’re newly diagnosed or have struggled with PCOS, her revolutionary program can now work for you.”

Get access to chapter 1 of Healing PCOS here

Grab your copy of Healing PCOS on Amazon (my link)

Feel free to post questions below and do let us know which steps have helped you (or your patients/clients).