Growing up in Finland has influenced my approach to life and work, obviously. Our intimate relationship with nature, or love of nature enjoyed in solitude or with company is something that I have carried with me as I moved to Manhattan as a young woman. I loved the city life but I also needed a dose of forest and the sea to stay balanced and happy. Now in mid-life it has become even more important. As a coach who supports leaders in challenging situations I am always looking for simple ways to help my clients thrive, stay mentally and physically resilient and succeed.
In this weekly series of blog posts I will share some of my insights into how nature, plants, gardening, the sea and mountains can help us stay resilient and thrive. And it is not always necessary to leave your office to do so.
Today the Finns and the rest of the Nordics celebrate Midsummer, an event shrouded in mythology centered around nature. So it is a fitting time to publish the first blog. About The Force of the Forest. Upcoming blogs are about The Seascape Escape, Gardening Therapy in Sweden, A Mindful Mountain, the Sauna Spirit, The Northern White Nights and more.
Force from the Forest
The love of nature, living in nature and seeking refuge and healing from nature is central in Finnish culture and why Finland repeatedly ranks as one of the happiest places on earth. It is our Forest, also called our Green Gold, that sustains us. In more than one way. Historically it has provided us shelter and warmth and built our national economy. Forestry and related industries built our country.
But it is so much more than that. Nature and as such the forest provides for us a well of wellbeing. The environment where we live influences our mood.
Research shows that our environment can increase and reduce our level of stress, anxiety and even our heart-health. Spending even a short time in nature lowers our blood pressure, reduces anxiety, improves our mood and physical health.
I grew up playing in the Finnish forest. In summer we built huts from old branches and roamed around freely among stones and trees allowing our imagination to take us to magical places. During the cold winter we built villages in the snow. Using our sleds to create roads, the circle of snow covered branches of conifers frozen stuck in the deep snow provided excellent shelter as we dug a cozy space under them, close to the tree trunk. As a teenager I escaped into the forest to nurture unrequited love, to allow my mind to wander or to paint. Physical exercise came easy, without a class, coach or calendar.
How can you draw strength from the Force of the Forest while living in a city or urban area?
Find a park and take a brief walk. Observe the trees and the vegetation around you. Take a trip out of the city ever so often. Take photos from your trips, frame them and place them on the wall. Or just look at them on your smartphone or computer.
Research shows that simply looking at a picture or a nature movie can be good for our mental health and wellbeing.
A colleague of mine who was stuck alone in a dark and small apartment during the height of the Covid-19 outbreak in New York City when you were allowed to go outside only for grocery shopping, found strength and an escape in nature movies streamed online. Watching movies and listening to the sounds of nature; birds in a forest and the wind blowing provided a brief break from the stressful environment she was stuck in.
Nature is a good place for taking a so-called brain-break during a hectic day or particularly trying time. If you can’t physically leave, then travel with your imagination to a place where you can rest and recover.
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