Self-Care Practices From Around The World
Winter can be a difficult time for many people. Colder weather and shorter days affect moods and aggravate mental health issues. With the pandemic still raging across the world, this winter looks to be even more challenging. Canceled holiday plans, financial stress, and long periods of isolation can leave many people feeling like there isn’t much to look forward to. Fortunately, there are simple and safe things you can do this winter to help bolster your mood. Here are some self-care activities that people around the world have used to to keep their body and mind healthy.
Grounding
Grounding, or the simple act of walking outdoors without shoes, can provide a boost to your immune system and mental health. In South Africa, walking barefoot is so common that most school dress codes encourage kids to attend without shoes. While colder temperatures and social norms may make extended grounding more difficult, only a few minutes of skin contact with nature is necessary to reap the benefits. Studies have found that grounding helps improve cardiovascular health, lower stress levels, enhance sleep, reduce osteoporosis and inflammation, and slow the aging process.
So, kick off your shoes and walk, sit, or lie down on whatever type of nature is available in your area. Being barefoot in the grass, sand, and dirt are all excellent ways to connect with the Earth.
Forest Bathing
The Japanese practice of forest bathing, or shinrin-yoku, involves immersing into nature and deliberately engaging with your surroundings. Shinrin-yoku is not a form of exercise or even a hike, but the health effects can be similar. The goal is simply to connect with nature through our senses of sight, hearing, taste, smell and touch.
Dr Qing Li explains how a session of Shinrin-yoku might go:
“The key to unlocking the power of the forest is in the five senses. Let nature enter through your ears, eyes, nose, mouth, hands and feet. Listen to the birds singing and the breeze rustling in the leaves of the trees. Look at the different greens of the trees and the sunlight filtering through the branches. Smell the fragrance of the forest and breathe in the natural aromatherapy of phytoncides. Taste the freshness of the air as you take deep breaths. Place your hands on the trunk of a tree. Dip your fingers or toes in a stream. Lie on the ground. Drink in the flavor of the forest and release your sense of joy and calm. This is your sixth sense, a state of mind. Now you have connected with nature. You have crossed the bridge to happiness.”
Wild Swimming
Wild swimming, or swimming in a natural body of water, has recently gained in popularity in the UK. Swimming in natural settings offers similar benefits to other outdoor activities by boosting physical health and psychological well-being.
And you don’t need to stop when the weather gets colder. In fact, research shows that immersing in cold water for short periods of time may increase alertness, strengthen the immune system, and boost your mood.
Eco-Therapy
Scottish doctors recently began issuing their patients “nature prescriptions” recommending such activities as bird-watching to treat chronic illnesses including depression, anxiety, diabetes, and heart disease.
Bird watching is a simple activity that can be done almost anywhere you live. It doesn’t seem to matter what species of birds you’re able to identify, what’s important is that there are plenty of birds around.
A recent study in Great Britain sought to determine what it is about bird watching that is so helpful to our mental health.
"This study starts to unpick the role that some key components of nature play for our mental well-being,” said lead researcher Dr. Daniel Cox from the University of Exeter. “Birds around the home, and nature in general, show great promise in preventative health care, making cities healthier, happier places to live."
Cuddling Animals
When the COVID pandemic first began, animal shelters in the United States saw unprecedented interest in adoption…. For good reason! Pets are known to bring a host of health benefits to their owners.
Pet owners are less likely to suffer from depression than those without pets.
People with pets have lower blood pressure in stressful situations than those without pets. One study even found that when people with borderline hypertension adopted dogs from a shelter, their blood pressure declined significantly within five months.
Playing with a dog or cat can elevate levels of serotonin and dopamine, which calm and relax.
Pet owners have lower triglyceride and cholesterol levels (indicators of heart disease) than those without pets.
Heart attack patients with pets survive longer than those without.
Pet owners over age 65 make 30 percent fewer visits to their doctors than those without pets.
Experiencing Hygge
This winter is the perfect time to experience the warm, cozy movement known as Hygge. Pronounced "hoo-ga," this Danish concept has no direct translation to English, but is encompassing of an overall feeling of contentment and well-being through enjoying the simple things in life.
Hygge is such an important part of being Danish that it is considered "a defining feature of our cultural identity and an integral part of the national DNA," according to Meik Wiking, the CEO of the Happiness Research Institute in Copenhagen.
Living a Hygge lifestyle means embracing simplicity and warmth. Fluffy blankets, fireplaces, candles, homemade sweets, and comfort food are all considered part of Hygge.
This winter, as we focus on our physical health, remember not to neglect your mental health. Self-care is an important part of keeping your spirits up and your immune system strong.