Hello, !​​​​​​​

    In the last several emails, we've looked at some of the components that are needed to build a solid foundation for living with ADHD. Those emails discussed sleep, exercise, connection, play, and medication (if used). 

    Two more elements of a solid foundation are a healthy diet and time in nature. Today we'll look at time in nature! And isn't this the perfect time of year -- as everything is beginning to turn green again!

    There has been quite a bit of research done regarding the effect on ADHD symptoms of spending time in nature. It has been found that there is a positive correlation between children's play in green (natural) settings and their ability to pay attention. It was found that children's concentration improved more after a walk in a park than after a walk downtown or in a residential neighborhood. 

    In one study, cognitive functioning improved when children moved from poor urban settings to homes in natural green settings. The improvement was in proportion to the amount of natural greenness in their new neighborhoods. These results and others based on studies reported between 2001 are 2011 are found in this article. 

    ADDitude magazine has reported on a study that showed that 20 minutes of play in an open green space could help a child focus for two hours on homework later that day. 

    Here are a couple of books on this topic that you might be interested in:

    For a good summary of the topic, here's a fine article: The Great Outdoors is Great for Kids with ADHD.

     Enjoy the greening of the season! Spring will surely show itself in full soon (even here in Virginia, where we have snow in the forecast for five days from now!).

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