KOMPAS.com – There are many ways you can do to relieve stress or stress. One of them with therapy in a cool and beautiful place. However, now there is a new trend, namely forest therapy (healing forest). This can be a new way to relieve stress both physically and mentally. This therapy can be done by entering the forest area. Then let the forest connect with all human senses. Such as the senses of smell, sight, hearing, taste, touch and movement. All members of the body will be connected to the atmosphere in the forest.
In a webinar held by the Biological Resource Management Expertise Group (MSDH) which is a member of the Faculty of Life Sciences and Technology (SITH), Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) some time ago, mentioned about therapy Forest. The webinar entitled “The Prospect of Natural Tourism Entering the New Normal” presented several speakers, one of which was Ir. Wiratno, M.Sc., Director General of Conservation of Natural Resources and Ecosystems, Ministry of Environment and Forestry.
According to him, the closure of conservation areas was based on various main considerations, namely
- government directives,
- social distancing, and
- avoiding the spread and transmission of Covid-19.
He explained that there are 54 National Parks, 134 Nature Parks, and 80 Wildlife Reserves that are closed for natural tourism visits. 4 policy for closure of conservation areas:
- The government asks people to reduce mobility outside their homes.
- Social distancing / physical distancing or avoiding crowds.
- Avoiding the spread of Covid-19 from visitors to officers or vice versa.
- Avoiding potential transmission of Covid-19 from visitors who may become carriers of wildlife.
However, with the implementation of the New Habit Adaptation (AKB), he explained that there are several policies for tourism reactivation which are stated in four priority points, namely:
“Until now, there are plans to reopen 29 tourist areas, then preparations for the opening are only for the yellow and green zone districts,” he said as quoted from the ITB website, Thursday (6/8/2020). He explained that it all started from 10-20 percent of visitors. Before opening, it is necessary to carry out an integrated simulation at each point.
Not only that, at the opening, only one point was opened so that it could be controlled, and it was evaluated every week by the team to ensure health and safety. Improving psychology in the new normal era while Dr. Hikmat Ramdan, Member of the SITH ITB Biological Resource Management Scientific Group (MSDH), explained “the prospect of healing forest in the new normal era”.
Healing forest is a potential concept to be developed in forestry because it deals with health and psychological problems. During the Covid-19 outbreak, of course, humans seemed to be in a “cage”. This will cause an emotional reaction called cabin fever syndrome.
It could be called an emotional reaction that arises from taking too long to undergo isolation or quarantine at home or in one place for a long time.
There are 15 symptoms that appear in this reaction,
(1) namely feeling restless,
(2) irritable,
(3) decreased motivation,
(4) prolonged boredom,
(5) difficulty concentrating, moodiness,
(6) impatience,
(7) feeling tired,
(8) distrust of others, and
(9) changes in sleep patterns.
Therefore, new normal becomes an opportunity to improve someone’s psychology due to too long quarantine. “The opening of a tourist area in the new normal era can be an opportunity for people to heal themselves by going to a nature conservation area and enjoying the surrounding environment,” said Dr. Hikmat
This article was published on Kompas.com with the title “ITB Academics: Many Benefits of Forest Therapy in the New Normal Era”, Click to read: https://ed Pendidikan.kompas.com/read/2020/08/07/095655871/akademisi- itb-many-benefits-forest-therapy-in-the-new-normal-era.
Author: Albertus Adit
Editor: Albertus Adit