Episode #003 Questions To Help Your Family Feel Good About Trees

Use these questions, if you like, to ask your grown kids to think about. It will moves the focus to outside and may feel like a gift. 
In this episode, I ask my boys, finance professionals in twenties, now living in London questions about going outside.

Please share one childhood memory of when you were outside close to trees?
Max the oldest remembered when he was 3 years old looking up and seeing tree tops together in a wooded park. According to forest bathers today, he was "earthing." He was allowing himself to be cradled by the ground.  So natural.

Jesse the youngest, remembered a time when we went fishing together. We had not considered that we would have to take the fish off the hook. Of course we had no plans to keep the fish.

At what point in your adult life did you recognize that going outside near trees helped you to get through a difficult patch?

Jesse said he became aware of all the science as I was starting my website and blog. He told me that "not everybody knows this science mom - keep going on this." Then he started to pay more attention to going outside close to trees to feel better. This is a link to my website:

 https://treesmendus.com

Max said it was when I was diagnosed with lupus and he saw how sick I was getting the longer I stayed inside. When I decided to go outside he said everything seemed to change for the better. That is when he believed the science and wanted to read my book.

What Kinds of Unexpected Things Do You Get Outside Close To Trees?

Max said when he is tired from working long hours (as an investment banker),he knows that even if he is tired, he should try to get outside for a little while. He says going outside to the local park always gives him new energy -- even when he does not expect it.

Jesse said after a late night of socializing, he likes to lie under a canopy of trees and sleep. He says he always feels better even after a short nap outside. Forest bathers would say he is  allowing his body to be cradled by the earth -- the ultimate in letting go -- and again, "earthing."


What Works To Get You Outside?

Max develops outside habits and plans for when these work the best when he is scheduling his days, weeks, months.

Jesse is inspired by beautiful outdoor parks in London - places of Outstanding Beauty. It is the more spontaneous adventure of finding and enjoying these places that get him to  outside close to trees and nature.

What Are You Still Struggling With Regarding Getting Outside?

They are both aware of the Finnish research that says you need 5 hours a month outside close to trees to get all the benefits. They are multiplying  that to 5 hours a week. They have outdoor time targets that they share with each other now.

What is Your Favourite Thing To Do Outside?
Jesse loves to golf. Max loves to run.

What Tips Would You Give Other To Help Them To Go Outside?
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For peer reviewed research on how your time spent in green space can change your mindset, balance your nervous system and your heart rate please go to verlafortier.substack.com and check out my books Take Back Your Outside Mindset: Live Longer, Stress Less, and Control Your Chronic Illness and Optimize Your Heart Rate: Balance Your Mind and Body With Green Space