New Study Confirms That Nothing Beats Nature For Stress Relief
Dr. Paul Lanthois
July 06, 2008
I was driving into the car park of the local shopping mall. The news bulletin was on the radio.
"Researchers have found that exercise causes the release of a chemical that helps us better control our sugar levels."
I wasn´t really surprised by the result. There are still probably so many benefits of exercise that are yet to be discovered.
"Hopefully this will encourage more people to get off their backsides," I thought to myself as I found a parking spot.
But the end of that news bulletin nearly caused me to bump into the parked car in front of me.
"Based on the results of this study, the researchers have now obtained a two million dollar research grant to develop a drug that mimics the affect of exercise."
Why do we waste so much time, effort and money trying to find a way to outdo and outsmart Mother Nature? Despite all the marvelous technological and medical achievements that have helped make our lives more comfortable it is easy for us to be seduced into thinking that technology has the answer to everything.
Some more progressive scientists at the University of Washington have reaffirmed rather than looking for some pill or potion to makes us relaxed, it is better to look to nature for a solution. Well actually we should be looking at nature.
The study, appearing in the June 2008 issue of the Journal of Environmental Psychology compared the affect on stress levels from looking at an actual fountain as opposed to looking at a real-time digital image of the same fountain.
One previous study showed that surgical patients with a view of trees required fewer painkillers than those looking at a brick wall. Other studies have suggested that even static pictures or videos of nature scenes might confer health benefits.
The researchers recruited 90 undergraduates and measured their stress after they'd been given various tasks, such as proofreading.
The students who had a window view of the fountain showed the biggest overall drop in heart rate. Their heart rate lowered by an average three more beats per minute than the group viewing the digital fountain. And the longer they looked out the window, the faster their heart rates dropped backed to normal.
Many of you may be thinking, " Three beats per minute, so what. It´s not going to make much difference."
Lets look at the figures...saving three beats per minute means that your heart needs to beat: 4320 times less every day
30 240 less times every week
1 576 800 less times every year
Do you get my point?
According to studies released at the recent XVI World Congress Of Cardiology, psychological stress is now the leading risk factor in heart disease. Outstripping the effects of smoking, obesity, diabetes and high blood pressure.
I recently was treating a computer programmer who was so stressed at work that he was considering quitting his job. When I suggested he try to relax by looking outside at nature, he responded, "How can I? What small windows we have just look out onto another building?"
Depending on where you work and your position in the company some of you may be blessed with sweeping views of nature while others may enjoy the delightful contours of concrete. So how can you get access to nature in a cramped urban environment?
Bring nature to you or you go to it.
During your lunch break try to spend time just sitting at a local park or a fountain.
If you don´t have any nice parks close to your office then look up. Yes straight up. Not at any tall buildings. Look up at a lovely piece of nature…the sky. Just go back to your childhood and remember when you used to lie down and look up at the sky and try to find shapes amongst the clouds. Now science shows that it is good for you.
If playing childhood games doesn´t suit you there is an additional solution. I came across it during a writer´s retreat in a place radiating nature. Fiji.
Our talented mentor, Sam Horn was answering the question posed by seemingly all writers. "What do you do if you have writer´s block?" For me writer´s block isn´t just a writer´s thing. It´s a brain freeze. It´s a creative block. Others call it "being in a rut" Whatever it is for you, we do get stressed when we are in these predicaments.
So what was Sam´s suggestion?
It was the same stress relief advice. "Spend time looking at nature" (This highlights that most creative blocks are due to feeling stressed)
And what if you couldn´t get close to nature?
"If you can´t get to nature, bring nature to you."
How simple. But none of us aspiring authors were doing it.
Sam continued. "I like to pick a flower and put it in a vase on my desk. When I spend time focussing on that flower my creativity starts to flow."
It doesn´t have to be a flower. It can be a plant of some description. A Bonsai tree perhaps? Whatever it is that you choose, make sure it is not artificial. As this study proves, when it comes to relaxation and stress relief, nothing beats nature.
"Researchers have found that exercise causes the release of a chemical that helps us better control our sugar levels."
I wasn´t really surprised by the result. There are still probably so many benefits of exercise that are yet to be discovered.
"Hopefully this will encourage more people to get off their backsides," I thought to myself as I found a parking spot.
But the end of that news bulletin nearly caused me to bump into the parked car in front of me.
"Based on the results of this study, the researchers have now obtained a two million dollar research grant to develop a drug that mimics the affect of exercise."
Why do we waste so much time, effort and money trying to find a way to outdo and outsmart Mother Nature? Despite all the marvelous technological and medical achievements that have helped make our lives more comfortable it is easy for us to be seduced into thinking that technology has the answer to everything.
Some more progressive scientists at the University of Washington have reaffirmed rather than looking for some pill or potion to makes us relaxed, it is better to look to nature for a solution. Well actually we should be looking at nature.
The study, appearing in the June 2008 issue of the Journal of Environmental Psychology compared the affect on stress levels from looking at an actual fountain as opposed to looking at a real-time digital image of the same fountain.
One previous study showed that surgical patients with a view of trees required fewer painkillers than those looking at a brick wall. Other studies have suggested that even static pictures or videos of nature scenes might confer health benefits.
The researchers recruited 90 undergraduates and measured their stress after they'd been given various tasks, such as proofreading.
The students who had a window view of the fountain showed the biggest overall drop in heart rate. Their heart rate lowered by an average three more beats per minute than the group viewing the digital fountain. And the longer they looked out the window, the faster their heart rates dropped backed to normal.
Many of you may be thinking, " Three beats per minute, so what. It´s not going to make much difference."
Lets look at the figures...saving three beats per minute means that your heart needs to beat: 4320 times less every day
30 240 less times every week
1 576 800 less times every year
Do you get my point?
According to studies released at the recent XVI World Congress Of Cardiology, psychological stress is now the leading risk factor in heart disease. Outstripping the effects of smoking, obesity, diabetes and high blood pressure.
I recently was treating a computer programmer who was so stressed at work that he was considering quitting his job. When I suggested he try to relax by looking outside at nature, he responded, "How can I? What small windows we have just look out onto another building?"
Depending on where you work and your position in the company some of you may be blessed with sweeping views of nature while others may enjoy the delightful contours of concrete. So how can you get access to nature in a cramped urban environment?
Bring nature to you or you go to it.
During your lunch break try to spend time just sitting at a local park or a fountain.
If you don´t have any nice parks close to your office then look up. Yes straight up. Not at any tall buildings. Look up at a lovely piece of nature…the sky. Just go back to your childhood and remember when you used to lie down and look up at the sky and try to find shapes amongst the clouds. Now science shows that it is good for you.
If playing childhood games doesn´t suit you there is an additional solution. I came across it during a writer´s retreat in a place radiating nature. Fiji.
Our talented mentor, Sam Horn was answering the question posed by seemingly all writers. "What do you do if you have writer´s block?" For me writer´s block isn´t just a writer´s thing. It´s a brain freeze. It´s a creative block. Others call it "being in a rut" Whatever it is for you, we do get stressed when we are in these predicaments.
So what was Sam´s suggestion?
It was the same stress relief advice. "Spend time looking at nature" (This highlights that most creative blocks are due to feeling stressed)
And what if you couldn´t get close to nature?
"If you can´t get to nature, bring nature to you."
How simple. But none of us aspiring authors were doing it.
Sam continued. "I like to pick a flower and put it in a vase on my desk. When I spend time focussing on that flower my creativity starts to flow."
It doesn´t have to be a flower. It can be a plant of some description. A Bonsai tree perhaps? Whatever it is that you choose, make sure it is not artificial. As this study proves, when it comes to relaxation and stress relief, nothing beats nature.
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