Why a tree a day can keep the doctor away

Trees are good for the soul, but as Maria Lally discovers, their healing power is good for the body too

Forest bathing involves being mindfully present around trees and in nature (Getty)

There are few news stories that unite a nation. But the felling of the centuries-old tree that sat in Sycamore Gap in the Northumberland National Park managed it this week.

On Thursday morning, park bosses announced that the 36-metre-high tree at Hadrian’s Wall was “deliberately” cut down. Locals were left devastated by the news and gathered to pay their respects; novelists and photographers paid tribute to what it had meant. “It’s where people come to get peace, you can sit here for hours and just watch the stars, it’s where Northumberland lives and breathes,” said one.

The benefits of being in nature – and in particular around trees – have been known for a long time, and in 2019 the Woodland Trust suggested “forest bathing“ should be on the list of “social subscriptions” offered by GPs to increase patient wellbeing, along with volunteering and gardening.

Despite its name, it has nothing to do with water, but rather involves spending time mindfully around trees and in nature. “Forest bathing is an opportunity for people to take time out, slow down and connect with nature,” the charity’s Stuart Dainton said at the time. “Even just 20 minutes can help. Evidence about its benefits is building.”

Spending time in nature can be one of the healthiest life choices you make (Getty Images)

The term forest bathing (the Japanese translation is “shinrin-yoku”) was coined by the Japanese government in the 1980s after the country, which is fairly urban, faced a public health crisis of stress and an increase in autoimmune diseases, and researchers found that spending time among trees and nature could help.

Studies have found it can reduce blood pressure, improve memory and concentration, and lower cortisol (the stress hormone) levels, and a 2018 study by King’s College London found that exposure to trees, the sky, and birdsong in cities improved mental wellbeing, even several hours after exposure.

While in 2005, the American author and journalist Richard Louv coined the term “Nature deficit disorder” to describe what he said was our growing disconnection from nature and the health problems that arose from it (he pointed out that it’s not technically a “disorder” but rather just a term).

“I’ve long been a fan of shinrin-yoku, or forest bathing, since researching happiness in Japan,” says author and happiness researcher Helen Russell, who wrote The Year of Living Danishly. “No water is required for forest bathing – it’s simply spending time with trees for the purpose of relaxation. And there’s a surprising amount of science to back it up.

“Forest bathing has been shown to reduce blood pressure, stress and anxiety, thanks to an essential oil that boosts our immune system. This sounds far-fetched, but professor Qing Li from Nippon Medical School in Tokyo has a theory that trees emit phytoncides – a bit like essential oils – to help protect them. When we breathe these in, they prompt biological changes in us, too, and our bodies produce more of the natural killer cells that form our crucial first line of defence against viruses and tumours.”

Trees are beautiful all year around (Getty Images)

Gwyneth Paltrow has recommended it in a goop newsletter, and the garden that the Princess of Wales (then-Duchess of Cambridge) co-designed at the 2019 Chelsea Flower Show was inspired by shinrin yoku.

Meanwhile, the Forest Bathing Institute in the UK trains people to become shinrin yoku guides, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds run a series of forest bathing events across the UK, and the Forestry Commission has launched a nationwide forest bathing programme. Health retreats and spas, like Champneys and Limewood, set in the New Forest National Park, have also offered forest-bathing retreats to boost wellbeing.

However, for a quick fix, Russell says all you need is to head to your local green space this weekend, put your phone down and take in your surroundings instead, along with the smells and the sounds of the woodland around you. “Just go for a wander, and see where you end up,” she says.

“Since moving to Denmark a decade ago, spending time in woodland has become part of my daily life with my three children, and one unruly dog. In the Nordic countries, it’s accepted that children play in nature all year around, and all my children have a ‘favourite tree’.” This weekend, it may be time to find yours.