HEALTHY LIVING

The curative power of trees, how to fall asleep in two minutes or less and why forgetting is a sign your brain is functioning perfectly.

FOREST PHARMACY

Shinrin-yoku, or ‘forest-bathing’ is a practice based on the Japanese and Chinese belief that spending time walking in a forest or wood benefits both body and soul: your stress levels drop, blood pressure decreases, pulse rate slows and anxiety diminishes for up to a month afterwards. The science backs it up: most plants produce phytoncides, volatile compounds and oils they use to fight infection from viruses and bacteria. Studies show that inhaling phytoncides has a similar effect on our immune, endocrine, circulatory and nervous systems. We’ve long known that being outside can make us happier: sunlight triggers the release of serotonin. And then, of course, we’re walking (because that’s what forest-bathing is – it’s not just sitting under a tree), and that simple exercise offers a slow, steady release of endorphins.

FORGET IT!

Worried that forgetting little things – like the name of someone you’ve just met – is a sign of losing your brain? Don’t, says a new book by clinical neuropsychologist Ylva Østby and her sister, novelist Hilde Østby. In Adventures in Memory, the sisters claim that forgetting certain types of information is how your brain protects itself from overload. Your brain constantly screens information to work out what’s most important. Even forgetting where you put your keys is okay: it’s such a mundane activity, your brain barely registers it. Top tip? Always put them in the same place at home. And if you really want to remember someone’s name, repeat it – it moves the information from your working memory (which has limited space) to your hippocampus, where memories are coded and consolidated.

HOW TO FALL ASLEEP IN TWO MINUTES OR LESS,

with love from the American Military. Step one (physical relaxation): Sit on your bed, feet flat on the floor, knees apart and hands limp on your lap. Close your eyes and drop your chin onto your chest.

Breathe slowly, deeply and regularly. Relax your scalp. Let your jaw sag. Relax all facial muscles.

Drop your shoulders, relax your chest, take a deep breath and hold it, then exhale and release your tensions. Picture yourself as a big, heavy, limp blob. Talk to your arm muscles and tell them to go limp until both arms are like dead weights on your thighs. Do the same with your thighs, legs and feet. If you have trouble relaxing any particular muscle, clench it first and then release it. When your whole body is heavy and relaxed, take three deep, slow breaths. Step two (mental relaxation): If you can keep your mind clear for 10 seconds, you will go to sleep. Concentrate on one of these three: 1. Imagine lying in a canoe on a calm day, in a still lake.

2. Imagine you’re in a big, black, velvet hammock in a dark room.

3. Mentally repeat the words: ‘Don’t think… don’t think… don’t think’, blanking out all other thoughts for 10 seconds.

Sweet dreams! ✤