Crazed to Unfazed

Did you know it's official? Trees reduce stress. What people have innately understood since the dawn of time has now been funded and scientifically tested so that we have evidence based proof. Now we can take it seriously. The University of Wisconsin's School of Medicine and Public Health in 2014 receive funding to explore the impact of nature on people, and found that “higher levels of green space were associated with lower symptoms of anxiety, depression and stress.” No matter the income level, the more green around you, the happier you are. Surprised?
I recommend that someone funds the planting of a serious number of trees on the school drop-off routes. The craze with which drivers race in and out of lanes and rush through lights astounds me. I was rear-ended last week when I had to hit the brakes turning right through an orange light because the car that I expected to stop instead gunned his engine and raced through. A crunch behind me propelled me forward. Argh! More trees please! When the driver got out of his car to inspect damage with me, he apologised straight away and confessed he was in such a rush he hadn't noticed the other car running the light. It could have been a 3 car crash, I reasoned to myself, as my cortisone levels hovered up with the tree tops.
Those incredible stress hormones that flood our body when stress occurs, originally to prepare us for fight or flight, can make us stronger or faster than we normally are. Sounds pretty good, right? The hormones prepare every system in our body to deal with a threat - our hearts beat faster and pump more blood, our lungs speed up to increase oxygen, muscles tense in preparation, our nervous system becomes super alert. Pretty amazing. However, these days the typical citizen gets stressed out all the time. Our poor bodies are constantly fighting wild animals and running from sabre tooth tigers. Or facing morning traffic and a host of self-imposed stresses, including caffeine and sugar, and incidents we deem sufficient to freak over (like being late) which trigger similar effects.
The results of high levels of stress are not good. Our nerves are shot, we become more susceptible to heart disease and diabetes, there's an increased risk of panic attacks, asthmatics can get into trouble if the body demands more oxygen and the lungs cannot provide it, injuries can be exacerbated, constant headaches, tension...we become exhausted, physically and mentally, and grow more impatient and cranky each day.
Recently I saw a film called The Connection, which documents the evidence based information to prove that meditation is good for you, and can in fact have huge positive consequences for us, like switching genes on and off, aiding in the management of chronic pain, impacting upon our mental and physical selves in a range of wonderful ways, even stimulating areas of our brain that we otherwise are unable to. It's a simple activity that requires no degree, no equipment, no travel, no teacher, nothing more than a quiet spot to sit and just breathe. I have found the effects to be quite wonderful. And peaceful. Just what I need to share the road with crazed out petrol heads whacked out on caffeine, running late and determined to butt in, cut off, squeeze past and drive on my bumper to make me go faster.
I challenge you to experiment on yourself. Start with just a couple of minutes in the morning and evening. Never mind the thoughts that come and go. Let them go and come back to your breath. I'd wager you'll soon find a couple of minutes is not enough. Maybe we should meditate while leaning on a tree.
Whatever works to support a more peaceful way of living suits me fine. What works for you?