How to Relieve Stress Naturally: Lists, Forest Bathing, Rest

The simplest ways to relieve stress are often the oldest: get the chaos out of your head and onto paper, spend time outdoors, and reward your senses with something calm. In Japan, time among trees even has its own name — shinrin-yoku (森林浴), forest bathing. None of it costs much, and all of it works better than another hour of scrolling.

Stress is the one thing that can make a young, happy, healthy person feel sixty years old with a list of health problems. We have all known it since childhood: speaking in front of the class, taking an exam, moving to a new school. You would think we'd have mastered it by now — but the older we get, the more responsibilities we carry, and it becomes almost impossible to keep up.

There are plenty of ways to relieve stress. The fastest and simplest is to be alone with ourselves in a quiet room or out in nature. The problem is that we are so attached to our phones and computers that every time we are alone, we stare at them — and I swear, those devilish devices are nothing but extra stress and anxiety. So we need a little structure to help us. That is where planning comes in.

1. Lists: get the overwhelm out of your head

If you are stressed because you feel buried under tasks and responsibilities, the first thing to do is make a list. In fact, make a few.

The important list. Your most urgent and most important tasks. If something is important but due next month, write the date next to it so you know when to come back to it. Keep this list where you see it every day — on your desk, on your wall, as your laptop background. Just don't put it in a bag and forget about it.
Today's list. Only what needs to happen today.
This week and this month. Two more lists, for the bigger picture.

Then start checking things off, day by day, one by one. List everything — shopping (yes, that needs its own list), getting your nails done, homework, cleaning the oven, taking a bath. Seeing it written down turns a cloud of worry into a set of small, finite steps. And ticking a box is its own small reward.

2. Activity: go outside — the Japanese way

The easiest thing is a walk in the park. I don't know where you live, but there must be a green area nearby. Enjoy it. Run or cycle if you feel like it — great for your energy — but walking is wonderful too. You notice nature, hear people talking and children laughing, at least on summer days. Sit on a bench with a magazine or a sketchbook and collect some vitamin D.

In Japan, this has a name. Shinrin-yoku (森林浴), "forest bathing", was introduced by Japan's Forestry Agency in 1982 to encourage people to spend unhurried time among trees. It isn't hiking and it isn't exercise: you simply walk slowly, breathe, and take the forest in through all five senses — the smell of wood and earth, the light through leaves, the sound of wind. Japanese researchers have since studied its calming effects, and many people find even twenty minutes among trees lowers the noise in their head.

You don't need a forest. A park, a tree-lined canal, a botanical garden will do. Leave the headphones at home, slow down, and notice.

Or take up a sport, if you don't have one yet. Movement is one of the most reliable ways to burn off the physical side of stress.

3. Relaxation: reward your senses, not your shopping bag

Reward your senses. Meditate, or take a bath with aromatherapy oils. Book a massage. Drink a freshly brewed coffee or a pot of green tea slowly, in the morning, before the day starts. Hug someone — or more. Visit a free gallery or museum. Listen to feel-good music: bossa nova, lounge, deep house, chillstep mixes, your favourite 90s songs — or traditional Japanese music, which is made for calm. But if a song brings back memories that make you sad, stay in the present. As a wise person once said, "New is always better."

Even so, I wouldn't recommend shopping therapy. It brings more things you don't need into your home, and adds the stress of money spent recklessly. If you want to buy something, buy an experience — a new haircut, a massage — instead of a new dress you'll forget in a week.

A simple stress plan for this week

Write your four lists tonight, and put the important one where you'll see it.
Take one 20-minute walk among trees, phone in your pocket.
Choose one sensory reward and give it your full attention.
Leave one evening completely free. (The Japanese call that room to breathe yutori.)

Frequently asked questions

What is the fastest way to relieve stress?

For most people: stop, breathe slowly for a minute, and write down what's on your mind. Getting worries out of your head and onto paper makes them smaller and more manageable.

What is shinrin-yoku?

Shinrin-yoku (森林浴), "forest bathing", is the Japanese practice of spending slow, mindful time among trees, using all five senses. The term was coined by Japan's Forestry Agency in 1982.

Does writing a to-do list really reduce stress?

For many people, yes. A list turns vague overwhelm into concrete steps, frees your memory from holding everything, and gives you small wins as you tick things off.

This article shares everyday habits, not medical advice. If stress is affecting your health or lasts for weeks, please talk to your doctor.