– It’s warm here. Maybe we should sit here?
Johan Refseth, alias @psykolog.med.sovepose, shows the way through her childhood forest at Brøttum in Ringsaker.
The forest was very important to Johan. She believes it should be available to more people. Because in the forest, or in nature in general, something magical happens to our heads.
Nature, outdoor living, and a very special healing technique are at the heart of Refseth’s book.
It has become so popular that it is now coming in the third edition. In addition, it has been at the top of Bestseller List for nine weeks.
– To strike in this way is just king, says the author himself.
Wait for Johannes’ tips for those who want to experience nature as a therapy room!
People will learn to connect with their emotions
The technique that Refseth adopts, both in the book and on Instagram, is called Intensive Short-Term Psychodynamic Therapy (ISTDP).
In short, it is about taking in what our emotions are trying to tell us.
In the book, she discusses how she herself uses pine fires, mountain walks, and nights in the open as a form of therapy.
She herself believes that it struck a chord because it is something other than a textbook on psychology.
Sad love lonely in a tent trip
The book begins with Johan Rifseth’s love for grief and she decides to confront him by going on a tent trip alone for the first time.
An important point was that she should be able to do it on her own, and do whatever she wanted without her boyfriend holding her hands. It was tough, but it was also cute.
The funny thing is that much of the same thing we’re trying to achieve in therapy happens on its own in nature, explains Rifseth.
Refseth’s editor, Henrik Sæhle in Gyldendal, says they scored Johanne Refseth through another project where she was interviewed. When she came to the publishing house with the idea for a book, it wasn’t hard to say yes.
Sæhle believes the book has become a unique blend of self-experienced outside life and honest texts about emotions and how to deal with them.
– she probably hits well on what many can relate to. Besides, the timing was good, outdoor life gave a lot to many when Norway closed its doors, says the editor.
@psykolog.med.sovepose’s super tips for “mental struggle”:
Johan Rifseth says that mental health is not something that happens when we strive, it is something we have and can maintain throughout life.
She calls this a “mental struggle.” She thinks we’re doing a good job of addressing these issues so she doesn’t grow up.
Here are her tips on what you can do on your own:
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Get out in nature – on your own!
Johan says there is a lot It’s easier to connect with their feelings when you have the time and space for what’s going on inside of you. Nature is very good, because it is easier to find this contact where there is not much deviation.
2. Get out in nature – with a good friend!
Being alone in nature is not for everyone. Then it can be a solution to find nature with a good friend. Johanne Refseth explains that a good conversation with someone you trust is exactly what you’re trying to emulate in the treatment room.
Sitting together and looking at the fire, for example, Facilitates a good conversation. It’s about finding peace together.
3. Let the feeling there
Instead of fighting and holding back tears, it is wiser to let them go. Feel free to go somewhere to cry Alone or crying when you are with someone you trust.
Most people don’t even think about it, but just putting words to the feeling can give peace in the body. Allowing yourself to feel sad after a friend who died, and noticing that you are upset with your boss or that you are enjoying life now, can give more presence.
4. Try to notice what you do when it boils from the inside
Johan thinks it might be nice to notice what she does when it boils inside.
Are you someone who makes room for that, or are you more of a person who scrolls on the phone, exercises, thinks a lot, worries or gets distracted in other ways?
– In this case, it is quite normal and very common, I personally am a master of the Norwegian scroll. The psychiatrist explains that if there’s a lot of emotion, I sit on Instagram and watch reels, and I also know I have to look inside to feel what’s really going on.
5. Isn’t nature your favourite? Make your room somewhere else!
The most important thing, Johan says, is to create a “room” in everyday life otherwise – and that doesn’t necessarily have to be outside in nature.
The most important thing is to give yourself a break.
– If you give yourself these breaks in everyday life and internalize how you’re really feeling, your physical reactions will often go away on their own.
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