This generation of young people is using "hugging trees" to solve internal friction

Friends, have you ever heard of "tree hugging"?

After hugging cats and dogs, a new lifestyle has become popular among contemporary young people - hugging trees .

The specific method is very simple: walk out of the house, find a park, then pick a tree that catches your eye, open your arms, hug it, and feel it quietly.

People who have experienced "hugging a tree" say that it can relieve anxiety and de-stress, and it allows people to regain happiness and relax themselves. "You are clearly hugging the tree, but you feel like you are being hugged by the tree."

Image source: Screenshot from a social platform

Does “hugging a tree” really have such magical effects?

real!

Studies have found that taking a little time every day to give trees a loving hug can indeed reduce stress, enhance happiness, improve mood, and enhance immunity to a certain extent ...it can even change the chemicals in the brain and make you happier.

Why does “hugging a tree” make people feel happy?

Many people believe that the healing and happiness brought by "hugging a tree" is likely due to the influence of religious beliefs and psychological suggestion. However, contemporary psychologists have indeed found some strong scientific evidence for this in their long-term research.

In his book The Hug Therapy, clinical psychologist Dr. Stone Kraushaar, also known as the "Hug Doctor," explains that hugging a tree helps increase levels of oxytocin in the body , a hormone associated with feelings of happiness, joy, calm, and trust.

And one effective way to increase oxytocin levels is through touch, especially physical touch.

Each human hand has 29 bones, which are connected by 123 ligaments, 35 muscles, 48 ​​nerves, more than 30 arteries and a large number of blood vessels. This complex structure gives our hands an exceptionally delicate sense of perception.

At the same time, the motor center and several parts of the brain related to emotional feelings will produce corresponding feedback with the touch of the hands. Researchers believe that when we "hug a tree", the contact between the palm of the hand and the rough lines on its surface will increase the release of oxytocin, making it easier for us to experience a happy mood.

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In addition, in addition to activating internal biochemical processes, touch also helps to open up the relationship between "people-objects-environment" , which is another important reason why "hugging a tree" is beneficial.

In addition, "hugging a tree" is actually a form of natural therapy.

Naturopathy is a broad category of techniques that use the properties of natural environmental elements such as trees, greenery, natural sounds, fresh air, streams or the starry sky to promote and improve human physical and mental health. It also includes activities such as forest bathing, camping, grounding (direct contact between your skin and the ground is called grounding) and nature meditation .

The International Alliance for Nature and Forest Therapy pointed out in a study that when people are in an environment that is "close" enough to nature, the level of cortisol produced in the sympathetic nervous system will show a significant downward trend , thereby helping people relieve negative emotions such as anxiety and depression, and playing a positive role in regulating heart rate, blood pressure and stress levels.

Precautions for "Tree Hugging"

Want to experience the joy of "hugging a tree"? You also need to pay attention to these details:

1

Please don't take it too seriously, my fellow tree friends.

Although today's scientific community has indeed reported that natural therapies such as "hugging a tree" have certain positive effects on people's physical and mental health, they are more of an auxiliary means, and research on this unique therapy is still ongoing.

Therefore, it is recommended that friends who are willing to become a member of the "tree friends" group should try it with a novelty and playful mentality, and do not regard it as the only way to solve mental and physical problems. If you find that you have serious psychological and physical problems, please seek help from professionals in time .

2

Protecting the environment and the community is everyone’s responsibility

"Holding a tree" has become a symbolic movement for the public to protect the natural environment in India as early as the 1970s. Through this intimate contact, people promote green actions and the environmental protection concept of living in harmony with nature.

Live competition at the 2021 Tree Hugging World Championship. Image source: VisitFinland

Although we now know that "hugging a tree" does bring a certain degree of positive help to the body and mind, please also learn to be a rational "tree friend" and try to be gentle when hugging a tree. Do not destroy the green plants in the community , break the original intention of environmental protection, and do not affect the daily lives of neighbors.

3

Safety Tips for "Holding a Tree"

Although nature is beautiful, it also has a dangerous side. Our human skin is obviously much more fragile than those animals with dense hair in nature. The bumps on the tree trunk and the insects crawling on the bark may cause harm to the body when we blindly follow the trend to experience the "tree hugging" therapy. Everyone must observe the health, hygiene and safety of the tree before "hugging the tree".

In addition, the rainy season is coming soon, so all "tree friends" are kindly requested not to try this unique activity of "hugging a tree" during thunderstorms.

References

[1]Betts, JG, Desaix, P., Johnson, E., Johnson, JE, Korol, O., Kruse, D., Poe, B., Wise, J., Womble, MD, & Young, KA (2022). Anatomy and physiology. OpenStax , Rice University.

[2]Li, Q., Otsuka, T., Kobayashi, M., Wakayama, Y., Inagaki, H., Katsumata, M., et al. (2011). Acute effects of walking in forest environments on cardiovascular and metabolic parameters. Eur. J. Appl. Physiol. 111, 2845–2853. doi: 10.1007/s00421-011-1918-z

[3]Donovan, GH, Michael, YL, Gatziolis, D., Prestemon, JP, & Whitsel, EA (2015). Is tree loss associated with cardiovascular-disease risk in the Women's Health Initiative? A natural experiment. Health & place, 36, 1-7.

[4]Forest therapy. INFTA. (nd). https://infta.net/home/public-health/forest-therapy/

Planning and production

Author: Su Yi, deputy director of the National Psychological Service Grassroots Collaboration Network Media Development Center, and a psychotherapist

Review | Fan Chunlei Associate Researcher, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Planning｜Xu Lai

Editor: Yang Yaping

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