Hiking for Stress Management

It's a well-known fact that exercise releases "feel good" chemicals in the body and calms the nervous system by reducing cortisol (stress hormone) levels.  So it shouldn't be surprising that hiking qualifies as an item to place on your top 5 list of stress management practices for reducing stress and finding a more well-balanced life.

Not only is it peaceful to spend time in nature, but the environments where most hiking takes place are typically filled with beauty, earth smells, chances to see a little bit of wildlife, and definitely puts each of us back in touch with something we are a part of at the core--Mother Earth.

And if you are looking for a way to take electronic gadget breaks, hiking is a great way to get away from your computer and the prolonged sitting involved with dedicated work at your screens.  Research shows that prolonged sitting is associated with early death, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, neck and lower back pain, and poor circulation.  Hiking gives you a reason to shut off your devices, put them away, and enjoy the delightful stimulation of the senses.  The body needs movement, the eyes need to focus on things farther away than a computer screen, the ears need to hear nature sounds, the lungs need the exercise and fresh air, and we all need reminders that we are not machines.  We are creatures on this planet just like all of the other creatures on this planet.  Our modern devices are here to assist us, not confine us.

Most of all, hiking is a Mindfulness practice.  It can bring you right into the present moment and wake up the senses.  While hiking you may notice the sound of water, birds, wind in the trees, and the feel of fresh air on your skin.  Walking in sunlight or rain, the benefits of hiking are the same.  The body remembers where it comes from, and that it is a part of something more than four walls and telephones aps.

Hiking doesn't have to be elaborate.  You don't have to make plans for a week-long, deep forest submersion.  Many towns have local hikes within minutes of town.  Some inner-city parks have hiking trails built right into them, and some of the best town parks have enough hiking trails and paths to make for a good hiking adventure.  So don't let distance stop you.  Hiking is still readily available at no, or very low cost, and seeking it out is well worth your Stress Management time.

You can find my previous May 2025 blog entry about the benefits of Forest Bathing here 

"It had nothing to do with gear or footwear or the backpacking fad of any particular era.  It had to do with how it felt to be in the wild."       ~Cheryl Strayed

Thanks to Intermountain Forest Service, USDA Region 4 Photograpy for the great photo taken at Wasatch-Cache National Forest, https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/deed.en

Forest Bathing to Reduce Stress and Anxiety

Shinrin-yoku.  That's what the Japanese call Forest Bathing.  It's a practice of immersing oneself in nature (especially forests), and the reason it is so helpful for stress is because it is a mindfulness practice that has a direct impact on all the various anxiety responses that get triggered in the human body during stress.

In any forest you will find a unique ecosystem made up of trees, animals, and other living plants and organisms that may vary depending on where you are at on the planet.  It's a complete interconnected system of dense trees, water, and air that creates an atmosphere of quiet relaxation.

One of the most noticeable things about Forest Bathing is that it speaks directly to the senses.  From the soft gentle lighting that is created by the tree coverage, to the sound of running streams, birds, and other living creatures that inhabit most of these environments.  In your every breath you can taste and inhale the wooded smells of the surrounding area.  It's an earthy smell of pine, moss, plants, flowers, and damp soil.  Usually the dense trees create a muffling of sound which makes time in the forest nice and quiet, with the right combination of gentle noises that feel accepting (and familiar) to the human body.  

The greenery from the combination of trees, plants, wood and soil in most forests is welcoming to the eyes as it creates a view that is not too bright and not too dark.  And the softness of the moss and aged leaves on most forest floors creates a gentle massage on one's feet when walking over the trails and paths.  There isn't too much in these environments that the human body doesn't like and so it feels welcoming and is an environment our bodies can relate to.

Scientifically, the proof supports the feeling that Forest Bathing brings.  According to Dr Qing Li, who is considered to be the foremost expert on Forest Bathing or "forest medicine," there are many medical benefits from practicing Forest Bathing.  Including, strengthening the immune system, lowering blood pressure, lowering levels of depression, anxiety and stress, reducing fatigue, lowering levels of cortisol steroids in the system (the stress hormone), and increasing a sense of mental focus (mindfulness).

Forest Bathing is one of the most affordable kinds of stress-reduction therapy you will ever find.  It's reachable and manageable for many and talks to that part of us that knows we are a part of nature.  If you are looking for ideas about how you can get back into nature, you can find my earlier blog entry here about ways to get out and get connected with the great outdoors.  There is no time like the present to submerge yourself in the relaxing practice of Forest Bathing.

"Go out in the forest, go out.  If you don't go out in the woods nothing will ever happen and your life will never begin."     ~Clarrisa Pinkola Estes

Thanks to Jan Hazevoet for the great photos, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en