How Spending Time Amongst Trees Benefits us Mentally

Lifestyle

Why is it that when we go for a walk in the woods our mood lifts and we feel a sense of calm? There are many reasons for this, the fact is that trees are particularly relaxing to be around and promote an enormous sense of mental wellbeing and calm. Many trees also have various healing benefits – for example, if you walk through a pine forest, you may feel that respiratory illness symptoms ease. This is because pine is particularly good at alleviating these ailments and has been used in treating these illnesses for thousands of years, and still is now.

As well as the smells of the forests, the sight is something else that can have a positive effect on our mental wellbeing. The abundance of colour, particularly green is known to be great at relaxing the mind and body, and green is a colour that is associated with health by our brains. Think about the colour of the cross above a pharmacy – its green! Spending time wandering in the woodlands is known to reduce the stress hormones that are released by the brain – this means that you are reducing the potential of developing issues related to this, such as heart conditions, high blood pressure and some skin problems.

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The sounds of the forest are also a step into a calmer mindset. When feeling stressed, getting away from the hustle and bustle of our busy and fast-moving lives and getting out into the forest can really help to ground ourselves mentally. The peaceful and calm sounds, from the birds to the wind in the trees can help to boost our calm feelings and leave the negativity behind. If you look at relaxing sounds on apps and CDs, many of them will feature the sounds of a forest.

As well as the mental wellbeing that we enjoy from being around the trees, we also benefit from the fact that trees put oxygen back into the world – something that is essential to all life on earth and a massive weapon in the fight against climate change.

Although it is not always easy to get out into the woods every day, we can all do something to bring a little of that peace and calm that we experience in the woodlands to our homes. If you have a garden, why not plant a tree in it? Look into the types of trees that may suit your garden – take into account the size of the garden, the soil type, and how much care the tree needs. It is always a good idea to have a professional help with maintaining your tree from time to time, such as this tree surgery Gloucester based company geoffreyurchcontracts.co.uk/residential-gardens/tree-surgery/tree-surgeon-gloucester/

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A tree in the garden is a great way to connect to the seasons, the natural world and have a piece of that peace and tranquillity that you find in the forest, with you at home.