Most trees have seen more than we would ever see in two lifetimes, so really we have a lot to learn from them. But, we’re not so un-similar, if we stop and think about it, we can identify ourselves with each aspect of a tree, like its roots for example.
So, what makes trees so inviting to us and how can we be more like a tree?
Roots
Tree roots are buried deep beneath the soil, grounding them, and making strong foundations for their growth, much like our own, no?
A lot can be said for our roots. Our upbringing is ultimately what grounds us and what kickstarts our foundation.
Much like tree roots, we explore our surroundings, spread out and find the best nutrients to help us grow but it’s important we make sure we use all that nutrients to feed back to our centre, the centre that keeps us grounded.
Ground
The ground trees stand on could represent your life. What your day looks like, whether your life is on stable ground, or maybe it’s a bit uneven?
Take your time. Trees take hundreds of years to mature, growing slowly with each day, tackling whatever that day might bring. We could take this as a lesson to remember how important it is to be patient because much like trees, we can’t grow and mature overnight.
Trunk
The trunk of a tree can represent your strength and your skills. When you look at a tree trunk, do you think of your strengths or your faults?
It’s important for us to remember that no 2 people are the same like no 2 trees are the same. Not every tree grows straight, they each bend and tilt in their own direction. They can each teach us to be proud of our own twists and turns and that we should stand tall, celebrating our own uniqueness.
Branches
Tree branches reach great heights to ensure that the leaves that grow on them can reach the sunlight. Sunlight is important for healthy trees growth, without it, they cannot survive. Scientists believe that we too can’t live without sunlight. It’s vital to our health, to absorb vitamin D and also improves our happiness and well-being.
When we’re happy our brains release serotonin, and studies have shown that our brains release more serotonin when we’re out in the sunshine. So, branch out and make some more time in your day to explore the outdoors!
Leaves
The leaves of a tree could represent the relationships in your life. This doesn’t have to be just relationships with people, this could quite possibly be anything. Your relationship with family, and friends, your relationship with your job, the food you eat or even the relationship you have with yourself.
We put a lot of our time and effort into the relationships we hold in our day-to-day lives, but it’s important to remember our own self-care and the importance of rest.
We take rest for granted, but it’s fundamental to keeping good relationships and a healthy body and mind.
When you see a tree with no leaves, it’s lying dormant. This is because the tree is conserving it’s energy over the cold winter months, protecting and preparing itself for all the energy it needs to put back into itself in time for spring. Maybe this explains why a lot of us feel tired or low during the winter months. Do we need to slow down and take time to rest, and ready ourselves for all the changes and longer days that come with the warmer months?
There are many different aspects of a tree that we could relate to, not just the ones we’ve mentioned above. So next time you’re outside, whether that be with your family, on your own or for work, take a moment and look. Think about the positive ways that tree could represent you and take it all in. Ask yourself questions and challenge your thoughts, because there is no right or wrong answer.
Our upcoming Group Coaching Supervision on 1st March 2023 is all about Creative Coaching Techniques, and a popular creative coaching technique is the Narrative Therapy Tree of Life Project. It focuses on the different elements of a tree and is a popular technique amongst coaches to encourage their clients to identify different aspects of themselves.
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