Episode #002 If you spend 5 hours a month outside close to trees, grass, and shrubs you will live longer, prevent dementia, and control your chronic illness.

 I had just retired as a nursing professor and was looking forward to doing all the things I had always wanted to do. Then at a routine doctor’s appointment I was diagnosed with systemic lupus — a serious autoimmune disease. My doctor started me on Hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil) an advised me to avoid the sun. I tell my story of staying inside while I tried to get better feeling like a prisoner in a cell. When I finally decided to go outside, I felt amazing. Here’s a sample of the research that saved my life. No question. 

Live 12% Longer With Trees Around

National studies at Harvard and University of New Brunswick followed where thousands live by postal code. NASA Terra Satellite Technology measured the trees (by leaf and branch) around where these people lived. If you live within a 15 minute walk of trees, grass, shrubs you will live 12% longer. So congratulations you have just gained about 10 years of life.

Prevent Dementia With Green Space

University of Washington’s Gregory Bratman showed (when he was a post doc in interdisciplinary studies) that 20 minutes in urban green takes away negative rumination. This is the type of broken record thinking that is focussed inward. Phases of broken record thinking start with Why? What If? If Only…If this type of thinking is allowed to circle around in our brains — in particular in the “heart break hotel” part of our brain (the subgenual prefrontal cortex) this can lead to cognitive decline and dementia.

Not only does going outside close to trees help us turn our attention outward, it helps us to take action. University of Chicago’s Marc Berman (in engineering and psychology) showed that going outside close to trees makes us pay attention in a different way (indirect attention). This is very different than having to pay direct attention to our screen or driving. When we spend time close to trees and green space we give our brains a rest. This in the science world is called Attention Restoration Theory. When we are outside and our attention wanders around this not only rests your brain, but increases your short and long term memory, your ability to concentrate, problem solve  and learn new things! So now you are really preventing cognitive decline and dementia.

Control Your Chronic Illness With Trees

Professor Paul Mitchell (an epidemiologist) at University of Glasgow showed that 5 minutes outside lifts our self esteem. Compared to the same activity as the gym, people exercising outside had the same benefits as those exercising in the gym. The only difference was that those people outside (doing anything at all) had lifted self esteem. Just by being outdoors around trees and green space made them feel better about themselves and their world around them. Further research shows that chronic illness symptoms are directly proportional to self esteem. The higher your self esteem, the lower your symptoms. The studies looked at arthritis and asthma. Low self esteem more pain and shortness of breath. And the opposite was true.

A Quick Win: Water a Plant to Live Longer

Water a plant to live longer. Simply noticing if a plant needs water helps you to live longer according to Harvard’s social psychologist Ellen Langer.

Please subscribe and join my website https://treesmendus.com for free resources.

My book and workbook https://www.amazon.ca/Take-Back-Your-Outside-Mindset/dp/1690766751/ref=tmm_pap_swat

Take Back Your Outside Mindset: Live Longer, Prevent Dementia, and Control Your Chronic Illness.