

Just be sure to turn off or silence your phone or other devices. You could take a trip to a nearby park, your favorite local trail, the beach, or any natural setting. While the word “forest” is in the name of this practice, don’t worry - heading out to a heavily wooded area isn’t required. In addition, studies have found that simply spending 10 to 20 minutes a day outdoors can lead to increased well-being and happiness - and decreased amounts of stress. 2 This can help put you in a more calm and relaxed state. 1Īside from city parks, the more in-depth practice of forest bathing has been found to lower blood pressure, heart rate, and levels of harmful hormones - like cortisol, which your body produces when it’s stressed. One study by the International Journal of Environmental Health Research found that spending time in an urban park can have a positive impact on a person’s sense of well-being. There’s a reason why the largest cities in the world have parks, trees, and pockets of nature mixed in throughout their busy streets. The goal of forest bathing is to live in the present moment while immersing your senses in the sights and sounds of a natural setting. It’s also very low impact, which means you don’t have to go for intense trail runs or hikes. In 1982, the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries created the term shinrin-yoku, which translates to “forest bathing” or “absorbing the forest atmosphere.” The practice encourages people to simply spend time in nature - no actual bathing required.

One simple way to manage stress? Spending time in nature - or forest bathing. Feeling stressed for long periods of time can lead to depression, increased anxiety, and even physical symptoms, like body aches. But too much stress can take a toll on your mind and body. Together, we can make healthy communities happen.Forest bathing: What it is and why you should try it by Kaiser Permanente | And we’ll make even more impact by innovating with technology and social solutions to transform how our communities thrive. Collaboration with partners who believe in good health for all will bring smarter, sustainable solutions with greater impact. Looking ahead, togetherĪs we move forward, our programs will be guided by what we hear from the community and what people in our region need. Kaiser Permanente’s mission of improving the health of our communities is further brought to life by physicians and employees who volunteer throughout the region. We also provide around $32 million in care through Medicaid, serving about 25,000 patients in our region. Our own programs work to remove financial barriers, providing financial assistance for care at Kaiser Permanente medical offices. Kaiser Permanente also works closely with safety net clinics and organizations, supporting efforts to provide care for people who don’t have insurance or have difficulty accessing health care services. Our approach includes collaborating to create: Kaiser Permanente’s work in Washington communities is tied to advancing health equity - giving all people an equal chance for a healthy life and addressing social and economic factors that can contribute to health. We’re investing our time, expertise, and resources, including funding opportunities such as sponsorships and grants, to help create healthy and sustainable communities, focusing on areas with the most pressing needs. This commitment benefits not only our 670,000+ members, but also more than 6 million people living across Washington in the areas we serve. It goes deep into our communities, and promotes health where people live, work, learn, and play. Total health goes beyond the doctor’s office.

Our definition of health includes physical, mental and emotional, or - more simply put - total health. Creating healthy communitiesĪt Kaiser Permanente, our mission is to provide high-quality, affordable health care and improve the health of our members and the communities we serve.

Kaiser Permanente Washington is dedicated to creating better health in communities through a legacy of caring, innovation, excellence, equity and inclusion.
