Forest Bathing First Aid

This has been a particularly difficult week during which a friend became critically ill. The emotional strain of this news brought my anxiety back to the fore.

I’ve come to realise that my anxiety is like a bully. It waits until I’m feeling vulnerable and then it decides to stick the boot in.

It first turned up on Tuesday when I was supposed to attend a social gathering of a new local craft network. Meeting a group of new people (no matter how nice they may well be) in a social setting is a classic anxiety trigger for me, but I was surprised by how strong my anxiety was. I really wanted to go, I was due to meet an Instagram friend there too but as the time to set off drew closer I tied myself in more and more knots. I managed to set off, I even managed to get a far as walking to the wrong address, but I was becoming more and more physically uncomfortable and twitchy the whole time. I re-googled the address and steeled my self to set off, I really wanted to beat my anxiety and get to this gathering. 

I drove there, drove past and drove home. 

I felt physically exhausted afterwards and emotionally very low. I realised that the news of my friend’s medical crisis was hitting me. My anxiety can make ‘networking’ difficult and I just couldn’t bring myself to face the challenge that evening.

As the week progressed the news from the hospital did not improve. The monkeys in my head progressed from their usual chattering to screeching and hammering on the bars.

By the Saturday my head was spinning with negative thoughts of an uncertain future. I’d tried lots of different things from my anxiety toolkit over the week to gain some peace. Meditation was proving too difficult as I’m very new to the practice and not adept enough yet to tune out strong anxiety. Distraction in the form of audio books and movies had given some relief (silence is my enemy when my anxiety is strong – hence failing at meditation) but only temporarily.

Mindful carving had working for short periods during the week as had walking my dog Jack. So, I decided to combine these elements and took Jack with me to Engine Wood for some intensive forest bathing and carving.

Forest bathing or “Shinrin Yoku” is a form of natural therapy formalised in Japan in the 1980s. At its basis it involves visiting a forest or woodland in a relaxed and mindful way and taking note of the sights, sounds and smells. The physical and mental health benefits of being outside in a natural environment have been informally recognised by many health practitioners and research is being conducted into quantifying the phenomena (for those who like things quantifiable).

Costa Boutsikaris’ excellent “Woodlander” series of short films includes an episode on “Shinrin Yoku” here https://vimeo.com/245324268

Once in Engine Wood and before I started my carving work I took Jack for a walk through the woods. The bluebells were starting to emerge, and unseasonable but welcome sunlight cast dappled shadows across the nodding blue carpet. I walked slowly through the wood, stopping to listen to the birdsong, touch the newly emerging leaves and smell the aromas of Spring. I have a background in ecology but I restrained myself from naming and cataloguing and focused on just experiencing each new sensation. Presently, the monkeys ceased their chatter, the anxiety let go and I could feel the weight lifting from my shoulders. Once we had finished our woodland walk I took out my tools and began to carve.

My mind didn’t stay quiet all day. But, when the negative thought spiral, anxiety and worry began to creep in I was able to just stop what I was doing and sit quiet for a few moments and tune back in to the woodland radio. I would listen to the call of the Green Woodpecker who loves to ridicule me or the sound of wind through the trees or I would let Jack drag me off around the woods as his personal ball launcher. Then I would return to my carving, chasing the line of a pocket spoon in birch with my axe and losing myself and my anxiety in the process.

What I've learned from this week is that we have to have a full box of tools to deal with anxiety. When one tool doesn't work, try another. And it that doesn't help then try another still. But keep trying and most important of all - talk to someone about your anxiety. Things didn't really improve for me this week until I was able to share my worries and anxieties about my friend's situation with others who were going through the same emotions. Sharing is the most powerful tool in your box

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