Life Hack for Relaxing
We are all so busy that we can’t be bothered to even try to stop. I often hear from people before a forest therapy walk that they want to slow down, but the unknown outcome that often accompanies a forest therapy walk is almost too much to bear.
By the end of a forest therapy walk, most people are deeply touched by what they experienced, yet it’s hard to quantify or point to exactly what has been accomplished.
The main objective in forest therapy is to open up your senses to what is around you. When in nature, if you pay close attention to the things you see, hear, feel, smell, you discover new pathways.
Below is a little nature related life hack practice that you can use in times of stress.
THIS EXERCISE WILL FOCUS ON YOUR SENSE OF HEARING
Wherever you are right now, take a moment to listen to the sounds around you.
Listen to the sounds that are the closest to you
Focus on the sounds that are the furthest from you.
How many sounds can you hear?
What is the most annoying sound you are hearing? The one that is stopping you from fully relaxing.
Now, replace that sound with a sound that is more appealing to you.
This is really fun to play with. I was awakening the other night with my partner’s snoring. It was pretty loud and I didn’t think I could get back to sleep. I pretended the snoring was actually waves crashing on the shore. Since I love to fall asleep to the sound of ocean waves, so it worked for me and I fell back asleep.
It can be challenging to trick your mind into hearing a different sound. It’s a little bit imagination and a little bit relaxation.
If nothing else, it releases some of the angst you feel that is associated with that specific sound. Be playful and creative with your thoughts. If hearing snoring makes you feel anger, recognize that and and see if you can let that go. If not, you will most likely get a chance to try it again on another night:)
Have fun with your experience. I would love to hear about what you do. Leave comments below.
