Once a Meme, Tree Hugging Can Actually Make You Feel Better

Researchers have found that interacting with trees, whether through a full-on hug or a simple touch, can reduce stress, boost your immune system, and even lower blood pressure.

In the Green Mountain State, where sugar maples blaze orange and pines whisper in the breeze, Vermonters have always had a love affair with trees. From tapping syrup to hiking the Long Trail, our connection to the forest runs deep. But here’s a new reason to get cozy with a cedar or snuggle up to a spruce: science says touching or hugging a tree might just make you feel better. Yes, tree hugging—once the punchline of granola-fueled stereotypes—is getting a serious nod from researchers, and it’s time for Vermonters to lean in, literally.

Picture this: you’re strolling through the Mad River Valley, the air crisp with that unmistakable Vermont tang of earth and evergreen. You pause, rest your hand on the rough bark of a white pine, and suddenly, you feel a little lighter. Is it the mountain air? The quiet? Or could it be the tree itself, working some forest magic? According to studies, it’s likely the latter. Researchers have found that interacting with trees, whether through a full-on hug or a simple touch, can reduce stress, boost your immune system, and even lower blood pressure. For Vermonters, who live surrounded by 4.6 million acres of forest, this is less a revelation and more a confirmation of what we’ve always felt in our bones.

The science behind this arboreal affection centers on something called phytoncides—natural compounds trees release into the air. These aren’t just pleasant whiffs of piney goodness; they’re biologically active molecules that can ramp up your body’s natural killer cells, the ones that fight off infections and even cancer. A 2009 study from the National Center for Biotechnology Information found that people who spent time in forests saw these immune cells increase significantly, with effects lingering for up to a month. That’s right: a walk in the woods—or a quick embrace with a birch—could keep you healthier through mud season.

Then there’s the mental health angle, which hits home for anyone who’s ever sought solace in Vermont’s wild places. A 2023 meta-analysis in the International Journal of Mental Health Nursing showed that forest bathing, a Japanese practice that often includes tree touching, slashed anxiety and depression while boosting mood. In a state where winter can feel like a six-month test of grit, this is no small thing. Whether you’re in Burlington’s Intervale or the Northeast Kingdom’s backcountry, wrapping your arms around a tree might be the cheapest therapy session you’ll ever have.

Vermonters are no strangers to forest bathing, even if we don’t always call it that. We’ve been doing it for generations—wandering through groves, leaning against oaks during a lunch break, or just soaking in the stillness of a hemlock stand. But the research adds a new layer to our instinctual pull toward trees. It’s not just about escaping the hum of Route 7 or the ping of your inbox. It’s about your body and mind recalibrating in ways that science is only beginning to unpack. A 2020 review in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health found that forest time lowers cortisol levels—the stress hormone that makes you feel like you’re herding cats in a nor’easter. For urban Vermonters in places like Montpelier or Brattleboro, where city life meets forest edge, a quick tree touch could be a game-changer.

Now, let’s address the elephant in the forest: not everyone’s ready to go full-on tree hugger. If the idea of embracing a sugar maple in public feels like a stretch, you’re not alone. But the beauty of this practice is its simplicity. You don’t need to channel your inner Woodstock attendee or whisper sweet nothings to a sycamore. Just rest your hand on a trunk during a hike. Sit against a tree while reading at Shelburne Farms. Or, if you’re feeling bold, give a quick squeeze to that old ash in your backyard. The benefits don’t require a performance—just contact.

There’s also chatter about grounding and negative ions, ideas floated in wellness circles and hinted at in the reel that sparked this conversation. Grounding—connecting with the earth’s energy, like going barefoot on moss—might reduce inflammation, though the evidence is shakier. Negative ions, those charged particles swirling in forest air, could lift your mood, but science hasn’t fully signed off. For now, the real MVPs are those phytoncides and the calm that comes from being among trees. In Vermont, where forests cover nearly 80% of the state, that’s a resource as abundant as flannel.

Of course, there are caveats. The studies, while promising, call for more research to nail down long-term effects. Not every tree touch will feel like a revelation, and the benefits might come more from the whole forest vibe than the act of hugging alone. But in a world of pricey biohacks and wellness fads, this one’s free, local, and as Vermont as a creemee on a summer night. Plus, it’s a chance to lean into our state’s quirky, nature-loving spirit without veering into caricature.

So, next time you’re out in Smugglers’ Notch or your own wooded backyard, give it a try. Find a tree—maybe that gnarled apple tree you’ve walked past a hundred times—and make contact. Feel the bark, breathe the air, and let the forest do its thing. You might just walk away a little calmer, a little stronger, and a little more connected to the Vermont we all cherish. After all, if the science is right, our trees aren’t just holding up the sky—they’re holding us up, too.