“I tried forest bathing to see if it can really help my anxiety”

The night sky above Finn Lough woodland resort

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Forest immersion stays were one of the wellness travel trends predicted to define 2026. Not because they’re new (the Japanese practice of shinrin-yoku, or forest bathing, has been around for decades) but because more than ever they feel increasingly necessary.

Forest immersion continues to emerge as one of the most restorative travel formats around. Retreats are being built around a simple premise – that time spent in woodland and nature has a measurable effect on stress levels, attention span and sleep quality.

Across the UK and beyond, hotels and retreat spaces are leaning more than ever into this slower model of restoration with fewer scheduled activities and more unstructured time outdoors. And the benefits are obvious. Studies link green space exposure to lower cortisol, reduced rumination and improved cognitive recovery. In other words, nature helps your nervous system downshift.

Psychologist Rebecca Ker says the evidence has accelerated in recent years. “Fresh air and exercise have long been linked to better mental health but research, particularly during Covid, highlighted how important simply being in nature and noticing nature is.”

“Forest bathing isn’t about hiking or exercise,” adds psychotherapist Shelly Dar. “It’s about slow, intentional immersion in a natural setting. In modern life, the brain is constantly scanning for threat – traffic, screens, notifications, social pressure. It’s a steady stream of input. Natural environments ask less of us, so the stress response begins to settle.”

A natural retreat

Which is how I found myself at Finn Lough, a woodland resort on the shores of Lower Lough Erne in Northern Ireland, to see whether a few days of intentional immersion in nature could genuinely make a dent in the low-level stress I (and many of us) have come to accept as normal.

Finn Lough doesn’t market itself as a retreat in the traditional sense. There’s no structured programme or plan. Cabins and bubble domes are scattered through acres of woodland, walking trails loop quietly through ancient trees and hot tubs, and saunas pepper themselves along the lakeside. Cars are left beyond the gates and guests are encouraged to walk, cycle and kayak to get around. Even at night, torch in hand, you’re guided back by dark skies and starlight (Finn Lough benefits from wonderfully dark skies thanks to its low light level pollution). The design of the place encourages you outside with doors opening straight into trees and paths that disappear right into them.

Phone-free relaxation

The idea behind nature and forest bathing is deceptively simple. Spend sustained, unhurried time in a natural environment, paying attention to sensory detail. No headphones and no step targets required. It sounds so glaringly obvious but also surprisingly rare, and something I was embarrassed to admit, I rarely allow myself.

We began with a slow walk through the woodland in the late afternoon. The pace felt almost self-conscious at first. Without a destination, my mind defaulted to its usual background activity, emails I needed to send, conversations replaying in my head and the constant itch to check my phone.

“There is solid evidence behind this,” says Shelly. “Studies from Japan show reductions in cortisol, blood pressure and heart rate after time spent in wooded areas. Research published in Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine has also demonstrated improvements in parasympathetic nervous system activity – the branch linked to rest and recovery.”

“It isn’t just distraction,” says chartered counselling psychologist Dr Kirstie Fleetwood-Meade. “Studies show measurable physiological change. Nature doesn’t simply take our mind off stress, it allows our minds and bodies to shift into a different state.”

About 20 minutes in I noticed my breathing had slowed and the internal commentary softened. The lake lapped gently, leaves shifted overhead and my shoulders dropped without conscious effort.

Accommodation at Finn Lough forest retreat

A tranquil night

The immersion doesn’t stop when the walk ends. We stayed in one of Finn Lough’s forest domes, a structure almost entirely transparent. From bed you can see the tree canopy above and the forest beyond. At night, branches move against the sky, in the morning, daylight arrives gradually, not via an alarm but through the thinning of darkness.

It’s a small architectural shift but it changes the quality of rest. Sleeping in a space that doesn’t shut the landscape out feels subtly different from retreating behind blackout curtains. You’re aware of weather patterns, light levels, even wind. The boundary between indoors and outdoors feels softened.

“From a sleep perspective, two mechanisms stand out,” Shelly explains. “Exposure to natural light earlier in the day helps regulate circadian rhythm. At the same time, lowering stress during the day reduces evening hyperarousal, which is often what keeps high-functioning adults awake. Most of my clients can sleep, what they struggle with is switching off.”

Kirstie adds that light levels themselves play a role. “Dappled or lower light environments reduce sensory load and can cue the body toward winding down. Woodland spaces may create a sense of containment that feels regulating, though perceived safety is key. For some people, very dark environments may feel activating rather than calming.”

The spa experience leans into this same philosophy. I love spas. I love tiled heat rooms, perfectly folded towels and the ritual of moving from lounger to sauna, to plunge pool and back again. But here the journey between treatments takes you through woodland rather than corridors. You step from a sauna onto gravel, not polished stone. And the contrast is striking. Traditional spas tend to steal you away from the elements. At Finn Lough, the elements are part of the treatment. Heated rooms look out over trees, hot tubs face open water. Even the act of walking between facilities, across forest floor and under open sky, keeps you in constant contact with the landscape.

The experience feels less curated and more grounding. Kirstie suggests that natural environments also offer perspective. “When we’re in landscapes that have existed for thousands of years, many of our worries can feel smaller. There’s a sense of something more expansive than our immediate concerns.”

Find your own nature

By the next evening I noticed how little I’d thought about my phone. Not through willpower but because there were fewer cues to check it. The forest dome offered enough visual interest, the birds and the lake, and the wind in the trees offered enough sound. For the first time in a long time my husband and I sat uninterrupted, having deep, thought-provoking conversations about life and our future.

Rebecca is clear that you don’t need a woodland resort to access these benefits. “Nature is a broad term. It can mean forests, woods, back gardens, small city green spaces. Access isn’t equal for everyone but consistently the research shows both physical and mental benefits.”

She points to the accessibility of the evidence. “Around 15-30 minutes in green or blue space can significantly reduce stress markers. Regular, brief immersion appears to be both accessible and effective.”

Guided sessions can deepen the experience, says forest bathing practitioner Delyth Johnson, who leads woodland retreats in the Lake District. “Many people find it difficult to slow down alone, especially when feeling stressed or mentally busy. Having a trained guide provides structure and containment. People often say it gives them permission to simply be.

“Research suggests the quality of the space and the connection we feel to it influence how beneficial the exposure is. A natural lake surrounded by trees may be more restorative than a busy street but even smaller green spaces can make a difference.”

Forest immersion stays aren’t new and they’re not a cure-all. But their continued rise makes sense. And with exciting plans for Finn Lough’s expansion you can see why they, and others, are putting time and investment into this style of stay. In a culture engineered around stimulation, woodland offers the complete opposite. I’d be lying if I said I left with no stress and a completely quiet mind but my baseline was lower, the volume was certainly down a few notches and my husband and I agreed we felt more peaceful than we had in a long time. And that’s maybe why these stays endure. Not because they promise transformation but because they offer regulation – one of the most realistic luxuries of all.