The Great Outdoors

We’re officially past the halfway point of summer and if you’re like us in the Eco18 office you probably haven’t gotten outside near as much as you wanted to during this beautiful season. Being located in New York City, it can be a challenge to get away but we try to leave the concrete jungle as much as possible and spend our weekends in the mountains of the Catskills, the beaches of the Hamptons, or even just riding bikes in Central Park. We always notice that we’re more clear, calm, and creative when we return from these escapes that our bodies crave.

As it turns out, it’s not just in our heads and there are some major scientific benefits to getting back to nature. In fact, the Japanese have even come up with a word to describe this phenomenon, Shinrin-yoku or “forest bathing.” Forest bathing is the practice of simply walking out in nature and leisurely talking in the all the sights, sounds, and smells. This unassuming activity is scientifically proven to reduce blood pressure, improve mood, increase the ability to focus, increase energy levels and improve sleep.

As if that’s not enough reasons to get yourself to the nearest patch of trees, forest bathing can even help you fight cancer. This is because many trees give off organic compounds that support our Natural Killer (NK) cells which are what our immune systems use to go up against toxic cancer cells.

We all know that itch we feel to get outside when we spend too much time in front of screens and under fluorescent lights, but now you have some solid scientific reasons for making sure you get your outdoor time. We doubt your boss will be open to relocating your office to the middle of the woods anytime soon, so we urge you to make it a priority on your weekends to go deep into the great outdoors and bathe in as much nature as you can.

Source: http://www.shinrin-yoku.org/shinrin-yoku.html