This newsletter comes out every other Thursday and hopefully provides you with thought-provoking content about the mundane, wacky, and weird. I will be writing until the 75th edition. If you know someone who may enjoy the newsletter, you can share it here.
It was 5:30 pm and I was finishing up a stressful day at work. I got up from my desk but Slack messages and emails were still dinging in my head. I decided I needed to get outside. I grabbed my jacket and did something humans have been doing for millions of years, took a walk in nature. I scampered up the San Francisco hills towards Buena Vista Park, a large hill with meandering trees and varied landscapes. As I walked over the hard-packed dirt and under the eucalyptus trees, my mind started to relax. Gone were the Slacks that I hadn’t responded to and instead my mind started to take in my surroundings. When I got back home, I marveled at how a simple walk had such a restorative effect.
We all know how good being in nature can make us feel. We have known it for millennia. The sound of birds in the trees, the sun on our faces, and the fresh clean air. It eases our worries, increases our vitality, and improves our mood. Intuitively we know this and have experienced it.
Turns out, there are countless studies, showing the benefits of walking in nature. Today, we will be diving into the power of being immersed in nature.
Shinrin-yoku, is a Japanese term for “forest bathing” or “taking in the forest atmosphere” that emerged in the 1980s. Dr. Qing Li was in medical school in Tokyo in the 1980s and realized that he came back from a camping trip completely revitalized. It wasn’t until the 2000’s that he was able to test his hypothesis on the potential benefits of forest bathing.
Dr. Qing Li and his team conducted many studies, but this one, in particular, stood out to me.
The experimental group was taken on 2-hour walks in nature for 3 days and then had their blood measured again at 7 and 30 days afterward. The subject group revealed an 80% increase in parasympathetic indicators of heart rate variability compared to the urban control group.
Forest bathing activated the parasympathetic nervous system which is our “tend and befriend mode”. Conversely, the fight or flight mode is often triggered in urban settings by abrupt noises and bright lights.
This may be a Cialis commercial, but perhaps instead of a pill the couple needed some quality time in nature.
Forest bathing is now even prescribed by doctors in Japan. Here are some of the criteria for an ideal “bath”.
Walking under trees that let in filtered light.
Walk very slow and engage all of your senses. What can you see, hear, smell, touch and even taste? Do you hear birds chirping? Can you feel the twigs breaking underneath your feet?
At least 20 minutes in length. It takes a bit of time to get “immersed” in your surroundings and this is the least recommended time. Generally, the longer the better.
Take a break for deep breathing exercises.
The benefits of forest bathing are almost too much to mention, but here are a few: reduced blood pressure, boosted immune system, lowered stress, improved cardiovascular health, and enhanced mood.
Separate from forest bathing, exposure to nature in urban settings has been shown to reduce crime. Let’s take a look at public housing in Chicago. In 2001, researchers from the University of Illinois conducted research on Robert Taylor Homes public housing, some of the largest public housing in the country.
The researchers measured the effects of exposure to nature and crime. Over the years, many of the building's courtyards had been paved (see below), while others maintained their trees and greenery.
What they found is astonishing. “Buildings with high levels of vegetation had 52% fewer total crimes, 48% fewer property crimes, and 56% fewer violent crimes than buildings with low levels of vegetation”. These were identical buildings, randomized groups of people, yet had significant differences in crime. One potential reason is the attention restoration theory, which says that when people don’t have access to nature, they're going to be more mentally fatigued. When you're mentally fatigued, you're also less good at handling difficult social situations.
🌌 Nighttime offers its own version of immersion with nature. It has a way of putting you in awe. Staring up at the stars makes you realize that you are so insignificant in the world. That insignificance is strangely freeing.
BJ Miller is a palliative care doctor in San Francisco. He has helped over 1,000 people die. His first-hand experience with death has shaped his perspective on meaning and meaninglessness in life. He says this about the stars.
“Just mulling the bare-naked facts of the cosmos is enough to thrill me, awe me, freak me out, and kind of put all my neurotic anxieties in their proper place. A lot of people—when you’re standing at the edge of your horizon, at death’s door, you can be much more in tune with the cosmos.”
Americans spend 90% of their time indoors. However, when people look back at their favorite moments in life it is often outside. For a reference point, social media is a highlight reel of our lives, so I took a look at my Instagram to see my “highlights”. I may spend 10% of my time outside, but 90%+ of my Instagram posts are outside.
After researching the benefits of nature, I can’t wait to go for a hike, plant a few herbs in my yard, and cap off the night by looking up at the stars and realizing what a miracle it is we are living on this spinning rock we call earth.
What I am re-watching
Fred Rogers testifies before the Senate Subcommittee on Communications in 1969.
If you want to see an incredibly deft display of verbal judo, watch this short clip. It’s absolutely fantastic. Mr. Rogers turns a cantankerous opponent into an ally in minutes, and it’s important to watch all the way to the end. Hat tip to Tim Ferriss.
Quote I’m pondering
“Trees fall with spectacular crashes. But planting is silent and growth is invisible”.
-Richard Powers from the Overstory
Humans are the opposite. We come screaming into the world and often die without as much as a whimper.
What I am watching
Skiers vs Snowboarders in 1985.
Skiers were not happy with snowboarders using “their” mountains. In hindsight, it is easy to see that people just wanted to maintain the status quo. Also, it is interesting to see many of these prejudices still persist today.
Pic of the Week
A few of us went skiing in Tahoe this weekend and came down the mountain to this little delight. Its name is “Kiri” and is a retired Japanese firetruck owned by San Franciscan Todd Lappin. I got a chance to chat with Todd and said he “imported the truck from a small town in Japan and loves driving it around because it gives people joy”.
As always, thanks to my editor-in-chief Jenny Weaver.