In today’s society, we are constantly faced with the question of how we can better one’s mental well-being. Be it yoga, guided meditation, or long walks in a park, we are always trying to find ways to decrease our stress levels in this trying world we live in.
One way to tackle stress, that I recently discovered, was planting trees for the recent wellbeing week at my school. Seven students in total chose to go out on a cold Monday afternoon and plant three different types of trees.
I had a friend there with me, who in all honesty was slightly reluctant at first to participate, but after planting her first tree she really started to enjoy herself. The two of us discovered that not only were we benefitting our mental and physical health by spending time outdoors, but we were also creating a long-lasting contribution to the school that would benefit its environment.
With the location of our school being on a busy main road, we receive a lot of traffic around rush hour, and in turn, a lot of carbon dioxide being emitted through the exhausts of the passing vehicles.
We are regularly talking about how we can do better for the environment and how we can improve our mental health; this is an activity that does both. Not only does it feel incredibly rewarding to be doing something good for others, but also knowing that your contribution to the school will remain there for years to come is a great thought.
So, to answer my question: how does tree planting in schools positively benefit the mental wellbeing of students? Well, that’s quite simple. I left the activity laughing and feeling more relaxed than I had in weeks. It truly is fantastic how much fun you can have planting trees with your best friends. Would I recommend this task? 100%, don’t just try it in school, maybe try planting some small fruit trees at home and see how rewarding it feels after you have completed it.
