Mounting Evidence: Nature’s Role in Mental Wellbeing Gains Traction as “Forest Bathing” & “Nature Deficit Disorder” Enter Mainstream
New research and growing anecdotal evidence confirm what many instinctively feel: time spent in natural environments is profoundly beneficial for mental and emotional health. What began as a personal rediscovery for one writer – a late-blooming thankfulness for the restorative power of landscapes – has evolved into a widely recognized phenomenon, with practices like Japanese “forest bathing” (shinrin-yoku) and the concept of “nature deficit disorder” gaining global attention.
The author initially experienced a sense of nurturing and protection while renting a secluded cabin, describing the landscape as feeling “like a child hoisted up in a parent’s arms.” This initial connection sparked a desire for deeper immersion,leading to hiking vacations with her future husband in locations like Northern New Hampshire and Stanley,Idaho. These experiences weren’t without minor challenges – navigating around wildlife like moose or obstacles like fallen boulders – but fostered a growing confidence and resilience.
By her 40s, the author recognized a genuine need for nature, equating it to essential life elements like friendship, coffee, sex, or love. This personal realization aligns with a broader trend. The idea of grounding oneself in nature became increasingly common advice, and the phrase “nature heals” entered popular lexicon.
The practice of shinrin-yoku, or forest bathing, originated in Japan in the 1980s as a physiological and psychological exercise involving simply being in the forest surroundings. By the early 2000s, the term “nature deficit disorder” emerged, suggesting that human beings, especially children, are suffering adverse consequences from diminished opportunities for direct experience in nature.
The author emphasizes the accessibility of this benefit, stating that a restorative natural space doesn’t need to be grand – “Whether that’s the Swiss Alps or a beach a few subway stops away, a canyon or a city park…” – but that cultivating a relationship with nature can provide a refuge, offering both solace during tough times and a calming influence amidst excitement. Ultimately, she concludes, connecting with nature can foster a sense of wonder, not onyl in the external world but also within oneself.
