Over the last 15 years as I’ve battled with my mental health I’ve developed coping strategies, one of my favourites is forest bathing.
Doctors in Japan recommend Shinrin-yoku to their patients. It is widely recognised as a form of preventive healthcare and a legitimate therapeutic practice to manage stress and anxiety.
I’ve used this strategy many times to help me to deal with tough times.
Back in 2020, prior to my bipolar diagnosis, I was confused and couldn’t get to the bottom of my mental health issues. So I’d take a drive to Delamere Forest and go for a walk. It helped me to decompress and gave me clarity. It became a sustainable way of resetting my mind and calming down my thought processes.
At the time I didn’t know I was experiencing hypomanic episodes.
On one such occasion I was particularly low and experiencing suicidal thoughts.
Almost on autopilot I drove to the forest and parked the car in my usual place, opposite the entrance to a quiet part of the forest, and sat listening to MCMXC A.D. by Enigma. This album always helped to bring me back to the moment and block out the voices that galloped around in my head like a herd of wild horses.
As I let the music wash over me in a calming aura I began to feel a wave of peace and clarity come over me. It set me up for the walk.
As I entered the forest I could sense the energy engulfing me. The overall feeling is one of profound calm and a deep connection to nature. I walked for an hour or so down winding paths through the tall trees.
I returned to the car and by the time I got home I felt rejuvenated.
This may work for you, it just one in a series of posts I’ll write over the next few weeks about how I coped before I was diagnosed.
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