5 Reasons to Include Spending Time with Trees in Your New Year’s Resolution!
As the New Year begins, many people are looking for a fresh start and new beginning. Are you one of many who are thinking about how you can be healthier in 2022? Maybe it’s time to refresh your body and mind by spending some time outdoors with trees!
The Health Benefits of Trees
Here are 5 reasons why you should make spending time with trees part of your New Years resolution
- Happiness
Many recent research studies have concluded that spending time around trees can help reduce feelings of depression and anxiety and also make people happier. Even just spending a few minutes each day in nature and around trees can help. By spending time with trees, you can reduce your levels of the stress hormone cortisol and increase your sense of wellbeing. If you’re also able to exercise outside among the trees, studies have proven that can provide additional positive health effects. Even a view of trees and nature from a window can lower stress and make people more positive.
"One touch of nature makes the whole world kin." - William Shakespeare
- Fresh Air
Trees naturally clean the air. They take in carbon dioxide and other gases that can cause respiratory issues and release oxygen. Go outside and take a few deep breaths - this can help you relax and reset. You can thank the trees for this amazing opportunity!
"A nation that destroys its soils destroys itself. Forests are the lungs of our land, purifying the air and giving fresh strength to our people.” - Franklin D. Roosevelt
- Physical Health
Spending time with trees and in nature can provide a number of positive effects on your heath. It can boost your immune system, lower inflammation, and reduce blood pressure. One recent study showed much lower levels of inflammation for people who spent more time in a forest than those who spent most of their time in a city. In another study, a group of elderly people were taken on a week long trip into a forest and showed much lower inflammation and blood pressure than another simiar group who were left in a city.
“In every walk with Nature one receives far more than he seeks.” - John Muir
- Creativity & Innovation
Artists throughout history and across cultures have been inspired by nature and have believed that by being in nature and among trees it helps increase creativity. It gives you the chance to pause and think clearly, without the distraction of a bustling city at your doorstep.
"Trees are poems that the earth writes upon the sky." - Kahlil Gebran
- Sharpen Your Mind & Improve Memory
Many people get caught up in their busy daily lives and go through life’s demands with repetition and stress. Because of this, our brains can get in a cycle and not think in ways outside of the box. By being in nature and among trees, our brains can have a chance to pause and relax – resetting and ready for life’s next challenges.
A recent University of Michigan study showed that the memory and attention of people increased by 20% after they paused their daily life and took a walk in nature and among trees. When another group in the study took a walk down a busy city street no benefit was found.
"All our wisdom is stored in the trees." - Santosh Kalwar
In Summary...
Studies have proven that it can be extremely beneficial to pause and get outside - spend time in a park, on a hike, or simply sitting beneath a nearby tree! This can help you feel better about yourself, improve your overall health, and can clear your mind to better take on life’s challenges.