22/04/2025
Z okazji dzisiejszego Dnia Ziemi, zostałam poproszona o napisanie osobistego posta na wellbeingowego bloga Every Mind Matters, za pomocą którego, jako Mental Health First Aiders staramy się oswajać naszych korporacyjnych współpracowników z tematyką zdrowia psychicznego. Chociaż tekst jest długi i napisany po angielsku, udostępniam go także tutaj - a nóż kogoś zainspiruje 😉
How did it happen that I spend every free moment in the wilderness? Well... Living for many years with recurring depression, a sense of overwhelming loneliness and a lack of meaning in life, I desperately searched for an answer to the seemingly simple question: "How to live?". I couldn't find my place in a world full of pretense, artificiality, hypocrisy, wearing masks and playing roles with commonly accepted scenarios. At least not for long. In an act of desperation, 8 years ago I abandoned everything and left to live in the wilderness for a year. It was only in nature that I found the truth and authenticity that I had longed for my whole life.
Turn on your imagination and think about it
While observing nature, it is easier to see that absolutely everything is interconnected and dependent on each other. Everything coexists and enters into relationships. Being in a relationship, being in connection is the matrix of reality. To exist means to coexist. Each of our breaths is a song of coexistence. Just take a moment, turn on your imagination and think about it. The air you inhale is born in photosynthetic tree leaves and ocean algae. The air you exhale, rich in carbon dioxide, will soon be captured by the same leaves and transformed into tree tissues.
Your body contains many elements, among which hydrogen dominates, as you are mostly made of water. All the hydrogen atoms that make you up were created shortly after the Big Bang about 13.8 billion years ago. Oxygen, carbon, nitrogen, calcium, iron and other elements that are also part of you were born during collisions of cosmic objects. When you look at yourself, you are matter as old as the universe itself - connected with stars, comets, cosmic dust and galaxies. You are made of the same elements, minerals, and chemical compounds that constantly flow through our bodies. The atoms that make you up now were once a rock, an ocean, a coral reef, or a mouse. In a moment, they will become a beetle, a tree, or an owl. You are true child of the universe, and each of your cells sings a song of interdependence.
Well-being through reconnecting with nature
Having realized the above and obviously much more, I became an advocate for recovery and well-being through reconnecting with nature. In addition to my MHFA practice, I became a certified Forest Bathing guide. Forest Bathing is a nature-based well-being practice that enhances our natural ability to adapt to change in our lives, more positively and healthily, supporting a better quality of life. During Forest Bathing sessions, I offer nature connection activities structured in a carefully designed sequence that aims to create experiences that enhance nature connectedness and strengthen social relationships, boosting the therapeutic and restorative effects of nature for health and well-being.
Forest Bathing has gained worldwide recognition for its diverse physical and mental health benefits. It involves immersing in the natural atmosphere with conscious participation, noticing and absorbing the natural environment with all of our senses. Forest Bathing has been linked to multiple health benefits. Scientific studies have shown that exposure to forest environments significantly reduces levels of cortisol (the stress hormone) and improves overall mood. Direct contact with nature stimulates the immune system, thanks to phytoncides, volatile organic compounds emitted by trees and plants. Phytoncides have positive effects by increasing the activity of NK cells (natural killer cells), which play a crucial role in defending the body against viruses and tumours. Forest Bathing also promotes an improvement in concentration and memory. The tranquillity and peace experienced in a forest environment allow the mind to break from the constant bombardment of stimuli that characterise urban life. As a result, participants often experience greater mental clarity and improved problem-solving skills. This practice thus plays a key role in relieving stress and finding mental and emotional balance.
My very personal mission
I am writing the above words on the occasion of Earth Day. After years of searching, I am finally certain that in terms of faith, the closest to me is faith in Mother Nature. And so my very personal mission was born: "if you know something, you will have a chance to love it. Only if you love something, you are willing to protect it." You can follow my activity on Fb: "Chodźmy w las - Ania Ozdobińska-Szpringier" (in Polish only).
About Earth Day
EARTHDAY.ORG’s founders created and organized the very first Earth Day on April 22, 1970. Since then, Earth Day Network also known as EARTHDAY.ORG has been mobilizing over 1 billion people annually on Earth Day, and every other day, to protect the planet. Earth Day’s 2025 theme is OUR POWER, OUR PLANET, calling for everyone to unite around renewable energy so we can triple clean electricity by 2030.
Sources:
R. Kulik, Wystarczająco dobre życie, Szczecin 2024, s. 24-29.
https://foresttherapyhub.com/what-is-forest-bathing/ (22.04.2025)
https://www.earthday.org/ (22.04.2025)
