4 Reasons Why You Need To Try 'Forest Bathing'
If you love nature, 'shnrin-yoku' will make you love it even more. Here's why.
By Mark Travers, Ph.D. | February 05, 2024
Forest bathing or "shinrin-yoku" is the Japanese practice of immersing oneself in a natural environment and engaging the senses to fully experience one's surroundings. Research shows that forest bathing offers various physical and psychological health benefits, including stress reduction, improved mood and a boost in immune function.
A new study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology examined how spending time in nature also enhances one's ability to live an authentic life. Authenticity refers to being true to oneself, cultivating self-awareness and aligning one's actions with inner values and beliefs rather than external expectations. Authenticity involves acknowledging both strengths and weaknesses, being honest with oneself and others and has been linked to fostering deeper connections and higher levels of well-being.
Here are four ways in which nature helps you tap into your truest self, according to the study.
1. Nature Enhances Self-Esteem
Self-esteem refers to the subjective evaluation of one's own worth, capabilities and value as a person. Researchers found that self-esteem is the strongest factor linking practices such as forest bathing to experiencing authenticity. Spending time in a natural environment can raise self-esteem as nature is a completely non-judgmental entity to be around.
While urban settings might diminish self-esteem by promoting expectations of constant efficiency or productivity and disconnecting individuals from their inner selves, in nature, an individual can simply exist and be themselves, without having to worry about being evaluated or performing any socially expected role. This experience reduces feelings of self-consciousness, which encourages individuals to focus on their positive qualities instead.
Nature also has healing properties. For instance, a 2021 study found that simply viewing images of nature can boost one's self esteem after they have faced social ostracism. Self-esteem or having a positive appraisal of ourselves allows us to experience self-acceptance and validation, fostering greater authenticity.
Additionally, researchers suggest that individuals often view their most authentic selves as good and moral, associating them with positive and socially desirable traits and behaviors. Studies show that receiving positive feedback about oneself or envisioning a highly positive future self can strengthen one's self-esteem and their sense of authenticity.
Researchers found that this experience of higher self-esteem and authenticity as a result of exposure to nature enhances psychological well-being and lowers depression, anxiety and stress.
2. Nature Builds A Sense Of Autonomy
Researchers found that spending time in nature fulfills the need for autonomy, referring to the fundamental psychological need for a sense of control over one's actions and behaviors. It involves the desire to make choices based on one's own interests, values and beliefs rather than feeling pressured or controlled by external factors.
In urban settings, people often have to navigate complex stimuli, social cues and technological distractions, which can deplete cognitive resources and restrict our sense of autonomy. Research suggests that exposure to natural environments can replenish mental resources as they allow individuals to release the burden of constant vigilance and multiple distractions, allowing them to feel less constrained by external demands for their attention and experience greater freedom and personal agency.
Further, autonomy is closely linked to the psychological mindset of "promotion focus," which refers to actively pursuing one's goals and personal growth. This is also associated with higher levels of authenticity as one's goal-driven behavior tends to align with one's innermost values and aspirations.
3. Nature Encourages Mindfulness
Researchers found that the experience of mindfulness was the second most influential pathway through which nature enhances authenticity. Mindfulness refers to the practice of being fully present and engaged in the present moment, without self-judgment or distraction. It involves focusing one's awareness on thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations or the surrounding environment, fostering a sense of clarity and self-acceptance.
Mindfulness is integral to the experience of connecting with nature. Natural environments, being calming and not overstimulating are more conducive to practicing mindfulness, compared to urban or city environments. Mindfulness, in turn, has also been linked to higher levels of authenticity and life satisfaction.
4. Nature Boosts Positive Emotions
Researchers suggest that being in nature also enhances feelings of authenticity as it fuels positive moods and lowers negative emotions, creating the appropriate emotional environment for self-connection.
According to the "Biophilia hypothesis," humans have an innate connection to natural spaces, as they have always been crucial for survival and create feelings of safety. Natural environments also have aesthetically pleasing characteristics that humans instinctively prefer.
The researchers write, "attention restoration and stress reduction are by-products of the ease of processing of natural stimuli. Taken together, these non-threatening natural environments can repair or invigorate cognitive and psychological functioning."
The study suggests that spending time in nature is a pleasant and rejuvenating experience, which encourages individuals to engage with their surroundings and themselves more authentically.
Conclusion
Embracing and valuing one's true self allows individuals to make choices aligned with their deeper values and interests, promoting a sense of confidence and empowerment. The positive emotional effects of being in nature create an environment that supports self-reflection, genuine self-connection and authentic living.
Unsure of the level of authenticity you're letting into your life and relationships? Take the Authenticity In Relationships Scale to find out.
A similar version of this article can also be found on Forbes.com, here.