Perimenopause and Forest Bathing: How Nature Soothes a Changing Body
Explore how perimenopause forest bathing can calm anxiety, lower cortisol, and restore a sense of wellbeing during the hormonal transition of midlife.
What Is Forest Bathing
Forest bathing, known in Japan as shinrin-yoku, is the practice of spending slow, mindful time in a natural environment. It is not hiking with a destination. It is simply being present among trees, attending to what you can see, smell, hear, and feel. The practice originated in Japan in the 1980s and has since been the subject of dozens of studies. The findings are consistently encouraging. Time spent in forests lowers cortisol, reduces blood pressure, calms the nervous system, and lifts mood. For women in perimenopause, these effects address some of the most disruptive aspects of the transition.
Why Perimenopause Makes Forest Bathing Particularly Useful
Declining estrogen affects the hypothalamus, the part of the brain that regulates body temperature and stress response. This is why hot flashes and heightened anxiety are so common in perimenopause. Cortisol, the primary stress hormone, also tends to run higher when estrogen is lower. Forest environments reduce cortisol reliably and relatively quickly. Even 20 minutes among trees has been shown to produce measurable physiological changes. For women whose symptoms are worsened by stress, building regular time in nature into the week is one of the most accessible and evidence-supported things they can do.
How to Practise Forest Bathing
You do not need a forest in the traditional sense. A park with mature trees works well. The key is to go slowly and leave your phone in your pocket. Begin by standing still for a moment and noticing what you can hear. Then what you can smell. Then what you can feel on your skin. Walk slowly, as if you have nowhere to be. If you notice your mind pulling toward your to-do list, gently bring attention back to the soles of your feet or the sound of leaves. Sessions of 20 to 90 minutes are associated with the most benefit, but even a 10-minute intentional walk among trees is worth doing.
Combining Forest Bathing With Other Practices
Forest bathing pairs well with other perimenopause-friendly practices. Walking in nature is gentle exercise that supports bone density and cardiovascular health without spiking cortisol the way intense workouts can. You can also combine it with breathwork, taking slow extended exhales as you walk, or with a short body scan once you find a quiet spot to sit. Some women find that journalling immediately after a forest bathing session produces unusually clear thinking. The time in nature seems to quiet mental noise in a way that allows deeper reflection to surface.
What the Research Says
Japanese researchers have documented measurable reductions in salivary cortisol, heart rate, and blood pressure after sessions of shinrin-yoku. Other studies have found increased activity in the parasympathetic nervous system, the system responsible for calm and recovery. There is also evidence that phytoncides, the airborne compounds released by trees, have mild immune-supportive effects. While no study has looked specifically at perimenopause symptoms and forest bathing, the underlying mechanisms are directly relevant to the hormonal and neurological changes of this life stage.
Making It a Regular Habit
The challenge with forest bathing is not doing it once. It is doing it regularly enough to notice a difference. Try scheduling one session per week for a month and tracking how you feel in the days that follow. You can log your mood and energy in a symptom tracking app to see whether patterns emerge. Many women find that consistent outdoor time becomes something they protect in their schedule, not because they feel they should but because they feel noticeably worse without it.
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