Flourish Like a Tree
For about as long as I can remember, I’ve had a fascination with and a deep respect for trees. Around this time of year in the Midwest, trees can be a reminder of renewal and new life. During the fall, trees can help us recognize that change is a constant companion in our journeys. As a therapist, I often find myself using trees as a metaphor in my work with clients and, if you’ve attended a LeaderWise workshop that I’ve facilitated in the last several years, you have probably heard me talk about trees in one way or another.
As you may know, May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Quite often, it seems, we think of mental health primarily from a deficit or pathology-based perspective. While I know, personally and professionally, the impact of mental health struggles, I think it is also important to consider how we might also approach mental health from a more wellness centered perspective. This week, I will invite you to consider the ways in which trees can provide some great wisdom as you consider your own well being and ability to flourish.
Trees are designed to adapt. As the changing and falling leaves of Fall remind us, trees adjust in response to the conditions around them. Maybe you can think of a tree in your yard or in a favorite park. I’m guessing it doesn’t look the same in July as it does in February. Even evergreens that don’t shed their leaves like other trees must make adaptations in order to survive the change of seasons. We, too, can benefit from the ability to adapt. A concept called “psychological flexibility” has been shown to be an important component of mental health. One of the fundamental aspects of psychological flexibility is the ability to recognize and adapt to various situational demands. Those with greater psychological flexibility have been shown to demonstrate lower levels of depression and anxiety (Kashdan, 2010). In other words, our ability to adapt seems to increase our ability to be resilient.
Trees are rooted. Another fundamental aspect of trees is that they grow roots – and those roots grow wider as trees grow taller. The wider a tree's roots extend, the more connected they are to the space they inhabit. This connection allows trees to weather storms that blow through. We can all probably call to mind a memory of a summer storm and the image of a tree standing strong in the face of strong winds. As I have moved through stressful and uncertain times in my life, I’ve often paused to consider my own roots. What are the things that ground me? What connects me most strongly to the space I occupy in this world? I’d ask you, too, to consider what your “roots” are. Being able to connect to these core pieces of ourselves can help us outline our own path toward vitality and resilience in the midst of a storm.
Trees do better together. Maybe a less obvious piece of wisdom from trees is that they do better in community. In the last few years, interesting evidence has emerged showing that trees in diverse forests tend to grow better and faster than trees in less dense, less diverse settings. Trees seem to work together to help one another thrive. We certainly know that isolation and loneliness can be struggles across the lifespan. It seems that trees can remind us that our connections are vital to our own health and ability to weather the storms and seasons that arrive. We know from many years of psychological research that social support is the most important factor related to resilience. Who else is in your forest? Is there a need for new seedlings to be planted? How might you help others during this season?
Kashdan, T. B., & Rottenberg, J. (2010). Psychological flexibility as a fundamental aspect of health. Clinical psychology review, 30(7), 865–878. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2010.03.001
