– It’s cozy here. Maybe we should sit here? Johanne Refseth, alias @ psykolog.med.sovepose, shows the way through her childhood forest in Brøttum in Ringsaker. INSTAFAVORITT: Over 50,000 follow Johanne Refseth on Instagram. She posts photos and videos from outdoor life, along with texts about nature, emotions and popular psychology. Photo: Lars Erik Skrefsrud / news Skogen has been super important for Johanne. And she thinks it should be for more people. Because in the forest, or in nature in general, something magical happens to our heads. Nature, outdoor life and a very special therapy technique are the essence of Refseth’s book. BOOK: Psychologist with sleeping bag has the same name as the insta account. Funfact: In its infancy, the account was called Rolling Grass, which had nothing to do with hashish. It was simply a reference to grass on a roll. Photo: Johanne S. Refseth It has become so popular that it now comes in the third edition. In addition, it has been at the top of the bestseller list for nine weeks. – That it should strike like that is just completely king, says the author himself. Hang on to get Johannes’ tips for you who want to test nature as your therapy room! Will teach people to get in touch with their emotions The technique Refseth embraces, both in the book and on Instagram, is called Intensive Short-Term Dynamic Psychotherapy (ISTDP). TAKE THE EMOTION: Johanne explains that it is quite common, for example, to feel relieved after crying a little, or to worry less if you have been able to put into words some feelings or needs. – This is the point of feeling emotions: Then you do not have to spend energy on keeping them down. Photo: Johanne S. Refseth In short, it is about taking in what our emotions are trying to tell us. Read more about repressed emotions here! – Emotions may not be what we Norwegians deal with the most, and precisely that can have some negative effects, Johanne Refseth explains. She says that if we do not relate to the emotions, the body will use energy to keep them down. It happens by activating another reaction that can “drown out” the feeling. Instead of feeling the feeling, we can get tense in the body, get a stomach ache, get nauseous, get a headache or a foggy head. – When emotions become muscle tension or abdominal pain, it is not particularly easy to navigate after them. In fact, they become completely incomprehensible and it makes us quickly start to avoid and instead of feeling sorry for ourselves, we worry, speak negatively to ourselves, distract ourselves or scroll on the phone, Refseth explains. In the same way, such reactions actually go away if you get the feeling. In the book, she discusses how she herself uses pine fires, mountain hikes and nights out in the open as a kind of therapy. She herself thinks it has struck a chord because it is something other than a textbook on psychology. EASY TO READ: – I wanted the book to be easy to read, and that psychology should be easy to understand. It is a self-help book marinated in campfire coffee, trout fishing and robbery stories from a nightlife. It is meant to be both entertaining and helpful, says Refseth. Photo: Johanne S. Refseth Love grief and alone on a tent trip The book begins with Johanne Refseth having love grief and decides to counteract it by going on a tent trip alone for the first time. It was an important point that she should be able to do it alone, do what she wanted without a boyfriend to hold hands. It was tough, but also very nice. – What is funny is that much of the same thing we try to achieve in therapy, happens by itself in nature, Refseth explains. The editor of Refseth, Henrik Sæhle in Gyldendal, says that they had registered Johanne Refseth through another project where she was interviewed. When she came to the publishing house with a book idea, it was not difficult to say yes. Sæhle believes the book has become a unique mix of self-experienced outdoor life and honest texts about emotions and how to deal with it. – 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 down, says the editor. @ psykolog.med.sovepose’s super tips for “mental struggle”: Johanne Refseth says that mental health is not something that occurs when we strive, it is something we have and that we can maintain throughout life. She calls this “mental struggle”. She believes we are wise to address these issues so they do not grow bigger. Here are her tips for what you can do yourself: Get out in nature – alone! Johanne says that it is much easier to get in touch with her feelings when you just have time and space for what is happening inside you. Nature is extra good, because it is easier to find this contact where there is not so much diversion. ALONE: If you are someone who enjoys traveling alone, this is a good tip. – Find a good place where you have some peace and quiet from others, turn off the phone and just be. Feel a little about how you feel, put a few words on it if you can, it encourages the author. – I think part of the problem we have today is that we do not have time to feel at all. It makes us even miss that we thrive in life. Photo: Johanne S. Refseth 2. Get out into nature – with a good friend! Being alone in nature is not for everyone. Then it can be a solution to seek out nature with a good friend. Johanne Refseth explains that a good conversation with a person you trust is exactly what you try to imitate in the therapy room. Sitting together and looking into a campfire, for example, facilitates a good conversation. It’s about finding peace, together. Let the feeling be there Instead of fighting and holding back crying, it is wise to let it go. Feel free to go somewhere to cry alone, or cry when you are with someone you trust. Most people do not think about it, but just putting words to a feeling can give peace in the body. Letting oneself feel sad after the friend who died, noticing that you are annoyed with the boss or that you are enjoying life now, can give more presence. RELEASE TEARS: Being able to cry freely will give a feeling of relief, says Johanne. For some, it is easier to feel that grief if you are out. Photo: Lars Erik Skrefsrud / news 4. Try to notice what you do when it boils inside It can be a good idea to notice what you do when it boils inside. Are you someone who makes room for it, or are you more like me who scrolls on the phone, exercises, thinks a lot, worries or in other ways distracts you from the inside. – In that case, it is completely normal and very common, personally I am the Norwegian champion in scrolling. If there are a lot of emotions, I sit on Instagram and watch reels, I also know that I have to take a look inside to feel for what is really happening, the psychologist explains. SCREEN-FREE: Once you are out, it is important to really seek the tranquility of the forest. Maybe you might want to seek out a place without coverage if you are struggling to free it from the big internet? Photo: Johanne S. Refseth 5. Is not nature your thing? Make your room somewhere else! Johanne says that the most important thing is that you make a “room” in everyday life otherwise – and that this does not necessarily MUST be out in nature. The most important thing is to give yourself a break. – If you give yourself these breaks in everyday life and get to grips with what you really feel, the bodily reactions will often disappear by themselves. FEEL: – Maybe you just need to feel that “yep, I miss my ex sometimes”, and the restlessness in the body will let go, says Johanne Refseth. Photo: Lars Erik Skrefsrud / news
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