
3 minute read
You're Not Alone...Really
Coping With the Ups and Downs of Being an Expat
by Andrea McKenna Brankin
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Managing Stress by Immersing in the Green
The “Green” issue of the AWA Magazine means something special to me and how I manage my own mental health. I love to walk in the beautiful parks in Singapore to calm my mind and make me feel renewed and grateful for my life here. I’ll be sharing that with the Listen Ladies group and other AWA members who wish to join for what the Japanese called “Forest Bathing,” or Shinrin-yoku. (Keep an eye out for “Walk-And-Talk” signups on the AWA website in 2022!)

Walk and Talk Session
This style of “green therapy” is gaining popularity here in Singapore. There are some counseling services who offer “Walk and Talk” sessions instead of office visits, including our friends at Harmony Counseling, who have done Zooms for the Listen Ladies and AWA during the Covid-19 lockdown. I like to meet my counselor at the Botanic Gardens.
Why does it work? It’s really just a matter of being in nature and sharing your thoughts, feelings or maybe deeper issues. Then again, silence is enough and just being present--read: Mindfulness-- can benefit your mental health and wellness. Profoundly connecting to nature in this way may give you pause to enjoy your life more. You can imagine that birds, bugs, trees, grass and flowers and sometimes monkeys (!) also sound a LOT better than traffic or a droning office building.

Forest Bathing
Shinrin-yoku was created in Japan in the 1980s because the governmental and health leaders saw a significant rise in illnesses caused by stress. (We’ve probably all heard about the Japanese work ethic.) With that, Japan created certified nature trails to guide people. The research gleaned from this shows that forest bathing can help reduce stress, improve attention, boost immunity and lift mood.
The stress, attention and mood parts are about reducing stress hormones like cortisol and encouraging the happy ones like oxytocin. One Japanese study even theorized that natural tree oils can help keep depression, anxiety and even blood pressure problems at bay. Other studies suggest that tree oils that contain 3-carene can lower inflammation and anxiety, improve sleep and prevent infection.
The immunity part is interesting, as Harvard Medical School’s Health Publishing reported that, “trees give off volatile essential oils called phytoncides that have antimicrobial properties and may influence immunity.” One Japanese study showed a rise in immune cells called natural killer cells, which fight viruses and cancer, among people who spent a few days and nights in a forest versus people who took a trip to the city. Ok, we may not be doing that in Singapore. But these results should be a powerful sway for those looking to justify the “green” theory.
Further, Harvard Medical referred to a UK study of 20,000 people that said spending two hours a week in nature improved their health and well-being. That breaks down to just 20 minutes a day!

Find Mindfulness in Nature
Are you sold yet? Don’t you want to try this out to see how it feels? Join the Listen Ladies for a WalkAnd-Talk in the coming months. See if you can enjoy a shift, a lift and make new friends as a bonus while enjoying the Green space. All moods welcome!
Check out the Listen Ladies page on the AWA website for signups!

Andrea runs the AWA Listen Ladies Group, providing confidential support for members at regular meetings. listenladies@awasingapore.org