You've probably heard of 'girl bossing' but 'girl-mossing' is the new social media movement Oprah Winfrey's getting behind.
Snuggling into soft green moss is not just a form of nature therapy, it can also be a statement against the heavy energetic load carried by women, says sociologist Anna Halafoff.
The modern 'moss girl' wants equality and full participation in the workforce but acknowledges her own need to slow down and look after herself, she tells Emile Donovan.
Photo: Anastasiia Malai / Unsplash
Like forest bathing, the idea of resting on moss as a form of nature therapy originated in Japan in the early 2010s, she says.
During the Covid-19 lockdowns, as people re-examined work culture, the Dutch concept of niksen (doing nothing) and the idea of quiet quitting sparked conversation.
Then, post-pandemic, wellness influencers began to reject the concept of the 'girl boss' who could somehow do it all, Halafoff says.
While 'girl bossing' has positive connotations of female empowerment and leadership, it's still very fused with capitalist, corporate ideals, she says.
The idea of the 'girl boss' doesn't take into account the pressures felt acutely by women - who are also often carers - to keep going at a fast pace and with little downtime.
"We value success, we value achievements, we value good health and wellness in terms of the optimisation of living, but we really don't spend enough time on rest and restoration and also on the other side of life."
Halafoff - a 'big fan' of girl mossing herself - researches nature therapies as a way of not just boosting wellness but also helping people to slow down, accept the ageing process and come to eventually die well.
in Australia, young people increasingly identify as 'spiritual', she says, and this spirituality is often centred on a strong connection with nature.
Time spent in the wilderness gives people not only a greater sense of peace and well-being, Halafoff says, we now know it can also really support mental health.
"There's some really interesting research that shows that that deep connection with nature - even if you're doing it on your own or in a retreat setting - is actually deeply social with the more-than-human world."
A 2024 Instagram post by the US National Forest Foundation:
Photo: National Forest Foundation
Anna Halafoff is an associate professor in Sociology at Deakin University in Australia. She recently wrote about girl mossing for The Conversation.
