Icelanders always go to nature to release stress
Iceland always seems to give us what we need. Under normal circumstances, that would be open spaces to explore, stunning waterfalls easily accessible by road trip, Icelandic ponies with gorgeous manes, and therapeutic natural springs. But given the current coronavirus pandemic and the fact that few of us are traveling to Iceland right now, our immediate needs have changed. With the stress, pressure and uncertainty of the current climate, the country's tourism authorities believe that we would all benefit from releasing a cathartic scream (yes, a scream) And, for that, they are offering the vast wild landscape of Iceland.
"In Iceland, we are lucky to have wide open spaces and beautiful nature, which is the perfect place to let out frustrations ", says Sigríður Dögg Guðmundsdóttir, head of Visit Iceland. "We think this is just what the world needs."
Therefore, starting today, you can record a scream, a wail or a howl on the website dedicated to it, called Looks like you need to let it out -' Looks like you have to let off steam '- and send it to Iceland, where it will be played on loudspeakers placed in places like the black sand beaches of Festarfjall, on a mountain on the country's southwest coast, and on the Snæfellsjökull glacier. (The speakers are in remote locations, so you don't have to worry about scaring the neighbors.)
You can choose where to send your cry from among seven places on the island, and then you can hear your sounds of anger and frustration, or joy, in real time through the live broadcasts available on the website itself.
It may sound absurd, but the tourist board's latest publicity stunt is based on an actual branch of psychology, known as primary therapy . Releasing our frustrations or anxiety through screaming can offer a sense of relief and release when we are done screaming.
Your screams will echo in the surroundings of Skógarfoss waterfall
"We use primary scream therapy when we don't necessarily have the exact words to express our frustrations , and for rather visceral things," says Zoë Aston, a London-based psychotherapist who was consulted in designing the Iceland program.
"That's exactly what's happening to people right now, because we are not equipped to deal with the feelings we are having And because we're not moving as much, there's a physical buildup of emotion, which can lead to blocks and other disorders, like depression and anxiety." For many, yelling with abandon can help unlock those emotions and work through them, and finally letting them go, Aston says. "The ventilation allows that emotional block changed So the part of the mind that's been in survival mode for the past few months is freed up to make really good decisions about what happens moving forward," she says.
To get the most out of your scream, Aston says to mentally go back, go way back, to when you were a baby: You'll want to embrace that level of crying and screaming from your diaphragm, from your gut, rather than from your throat, he says. "Really, comes from your soul , the place where most of our feelings are," she says. Then, before you let out an appropriate scream, think about why you're doing it. Yes, you may be angry and frustrated, it's hard not to be under the circumstances. today, but your scream must come from a more intentional place . "This will help you loosen it up," says Aston. "It will help you move forward and come out of lockdown in a healthy way, so you don't have to do it aggressively like we tend to think of when we talk about screaming."
Obviously, this isn't the only way to find relief from the intense stress of these times: Aston suggests focusing on yourself and your emotions on a daily basis (hopefully unlocked by a good, long scream) and making room for mindfulness in your routine. . But hopefully seeing your voice echoing off the iconic Skógarfoss waterfall will also help you imagine a post-pandemic trip to Iceland , which is certainly something to feel good about.
This report was originally published in the American version of Condé Nast Traveler