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Posted 01/16/2023 in Homeowners & Tree Owners

The Role of Trees in the Physical and Mental Health of Humans

The Role of Trees in the Physical and Mental Health of Humans

A healthy, green environment is much more than just beautiful to look at — it also has the power to improve our physical and mental health.

Trees and plants in general, when grown in public spaces, can lower stress levels, decrease blood pressure, and increase feelings of happiness and well-being among those who live nearby or visit regularly.

The role of trees in our physical and mental health may not be widely known, but you can learn more about it by reading this comprehensive guide to trees and health.

 

Why do we care about trees?

Research is clearly showing that there’s a solid connection between being around trees and your mental health. A 2013 study by scientists at Japan’s Chiba University found that walking among trees can increase a person’s level of happiness, lower stress levels, improve their focus, and even reduce anger. 

The act of simply looking at nature seems to ease mental fatigue, said Takehiko Nakamura, one of Japan’s leading experts on forest therapy.

We are not only physically connected to forests; we are also mentally connected to them. Walking through forests allows us to be ourselves again. These benefits happen when you spend just 15 minutes a day in a natural environment.

Imagine what an hour or two could do for you! Next time you have a chance to take some time away from city life, consider heading into an old-growth forest like those of our Pacific Northwest home. 

Whether it’s for work or play, try taking a walk through a dense old-growth forests sometime soon. You might just find yourself feeling more alive after doing so.

 

Impact on Physical Health

There are several ways that trees can benefit your physical health. Because it’s a renewable resource, wood is naturally resistant to rot, meaning it can be used as an excellent construction material.

It’s also highly flexible; you can bend it or even cut it up into smaller pieces without losing its structural integrity. Because trees are so plentiful and easy to get at, they have long been a popular source of energy for humans; burning wood or using wood to power steam engines is one of humanity’s oldest forms of powering machinery.

And when you chop down a tree, you also get firewood, which can help warm homes during cold months. This relationship between humans and trees is vital for our survival, as well.

Numerous studies have shown that greenery has a positive impact on human mental health; just being around plants leads to lower stress levels and improved cognition.

This cognitive enhancement stems from two sources: The first source comes from phytochemicals like polyphenols or terpenes—chemicals found in plants (and some animals) that give them their distinctive smells and flavors.

 

Impact on Mental Health

The natural beauty provided by trees has been shown to have a positive impact on a person’s mental health. In The Healing Power of Nature: Restoring Our Connection with the Living World, author Matthew Silverstone cites evidence that exposure to nature can increase patients’ serotonin levels – known as the happy hormone because it regulates mood.

Tree-filled environments also help protect against stress, according to research from British environmental psychologists Dr. Rachel Sharpe and Dr. Stephen Joseph published in Public Health.

The study found that neighborhoods surrounded by trees are linked to lower levels of cortisol, which contributes to stress reduction when your body releases it. And high-stress urban areas could really benefit from more street trees, too.

A survey conducted by researchers at Ohio State University examined over 985 communities and their surrounding green spaces—specifically parks or forests—and found that one new tree per 1,000 residents correlated with an 11 percent decrease in homicide rates.

This was especially true for older people who lived alone and/or suffered from physical disabilities or chronic diseases: They were 20 percent less likely to experience violent crime if they lived near more trees.

That same survey revealed reduced crime (theft, burglary) all around when there was more greenery throughout a neighborhood, regardless of how old residents were or if they had kids at home.

 

Plant trees yourself!

Local governments often don’t have enough resources to keep up with large-scale tree maintenance. If you don’t live near a forest, there are plenty of ways to help improve your community’s overall health by planting trees yourself.

What’s more, even if you do live next to a forest, taking an active role can still be beneficial—especially because many natural areas are facing threats like pollution, disease, and deforestation.

If you know your trees well enough (and have the space), consider planting some yourself; not only will it give them a fighting chance against these threats, but it will also save tax dollars that would otherwise go toward costly removal or relocation efforts.

Although planting trees is always important, especially for urban dwellers, April has been declared National Arbor Day for nearly 100 years. This year's celebration runs from April 26 through May 4 and is a great time to get involved with local tree organizations or simply plan your own fundraiser.

A single donation could bring money right back into your community! Even something as simple as buying locally grown plants at a nursery could benefit local nurseries and growers while helping fund future restoration projects—without costing you much of anything at all!

Planting trees may seem like an unimportant task when compared to larger environmental issues, but on both a micro-level and macro-level, they play vital roles in our physical and mental well-being... And once they're gone, they're gone forever!


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