I’ve written about the Japanese practice of shinrin-yoku, or forest bathing, before. Norwegians also have a similar concept, that of friluftsliv (pronounced free-loofts-liv), which roughly translates to ‘open-air living’. It’s a celebration of the great outdoors and can cover everything from cross-country skiing to walking the dog to something as simple as whiling away an afternoon in a hammock.

There’s no need to buy expensive equipment or to compete with others. It doesn’t matter how old you are, what the weather is like or how healthy you are. Friluftsliv is an all-ability, all-weather philosophy that's embraced by several Nordic countries. It’s about getting out there, regardless.

So come Saturday, after a pretty tough few months, I decided to embrace my inner Norwegian and pull on my boots. Sure I wasn’t feeling great and the idea of curling up with a book was very inviting. Okay, the idea of remaining in my pyjamas, with or without a book, was inviting. But I knew how I’d feel once I got out there and grabbed my camera bag, grabbed the husband, and headed to my happy place.

And I felt immediately better. Calmer. Home. The gums stretched out in front of me, the fallen leaves and dirt crunched underfoot as I walked, the cicadas called their pulsating song from the branches around me. I even did that thing where you’re walking along, head thrown back, arms outstretched. Honestly, I would have looked right at home in an ad for health insurance or a Visit NSW campaign! Put simply, I felt good. Physically and mentally and, yes, I'm not afraid to admit it, spiritually as well.

It got me thinking, if other cultures embrace the benefits of being out in nature, do we? And if we do, is there a specific word, or term for it? Either way, it was a good reminder for me that regardless of how I'm feeling, I always feel better spending even just a smidge of time, out of my head, out of my body and out in the world.

You can learn more about the practice of friluftsliv from Norwegians themselves here