Feel the embrace of nature.
Iceland is a unique case in this crisis, as reported by media around the world. With around 360,000 inhabitants (a population similar to that of Albacete), it has recorded less than 1,800 cases of coronavirus and ten deaths . The causes of this 'success' are attributed to the large number of tests that have been carried out in the country, reaching 10% of the population, but that is not the reason why the country is the protagonist of this article.
In this case, the news is in the 'curious' recommendation that the country's forestry authorities make to the population: go out to hug trees . The reason for such an atypical measure? Throstur Eysteonsson, director of the Icelandic forest service, tells us: "Hugging trees is good for you, but our main motivation is to invite people to walk in the forest. There are many research findings that show that spending time in a forest environment has health benefits, and that can combat stress, depression, blood pressure, and immune system function.Hugging a tree is nothing but a bonus. Hugging a tree is inherently funny, it makes you smile, and smiling is good for you too".
It is true that there are many studies that support Eysteonsson's words. This is stated by David Strayer, a cognitive psychologist at the University of Utah, who demonstrated that exposure to nature allows the prefrontal cortex to "rest" from the stress to which we subject it daily. The results go so far as to state that those who are "lost in the woods" for at least three days perform 50% better at solving creative problems and feel their senses "recalibrate" until you experience new sensations, among other benefits.
The spectacular Icelandic nature
There are also other works, such as that of the psychology professors at the University of Michigan Rachel and Steven Kaplan (authors of With People in Mind: Design and Management for Everyday Nature) that consider that, to achieve this "rest" effect, it takes more than having access to, for example, the view of an urban park . "People's directed attention becomes fatigued by overuse," Rachel explained to the American Phychological Association, thus activating the "impulsivity, distractibility, and irritability that go along with it." Upon coming into contact with a green environment, attention becomes "automatic" and it is possible to "rest" directed attention, which reverts to greater well-being and, again, also in improved performance.
** FACILITIES TO ENJOY NATURE **
To make a walk in the forest even more enjoyable and easy, the Icelandic Forest Service also snow has been removed from the paths running through the forest already, much earlier than any other year. In this way, anyone will be able to enter nature with ease, since the restrictions are minimal: up to 20 people can gather, respecting the two meters of distance between them.
"Several thousand people are or have been in official quarantine and not allowed to go out, but many more are in self-quarantine, which means that they mostly stay at home, but can also go for walks or walk as long as they don't come near anyone else. Also, schools are closed, so kids are more or less home without being quarantined. So, for most there are no restrictions to take a walk in the woods as long as it's not in large groups," confirms Eysteonsson.
Even so, the general climate, fueled by difficult circumstances and social distancing, is the reason for the atypical advice of the authorities: "In these difficult times, when the coronavirus is damaging the nation, separating people and repressing the society, we are asked to avoid intimacy and contact. Hugs with other people have to wait. Therefore, it is a good opportunity to experience good tree hugs , a healing act," reads the forest service website.