How many times have you wished you had more time to exercise, meditate, or be outdoors? For many of us, we now have more time than we know what to do with. The lack of structure, coupled with social and economic uncertainty, can leave us feeling overwhelmed and anxious. We may be able to use technology to communicate with friends and family we can’t physically be near for now, but what about our own mental well being?
A team of researchers from Stanford University discovered that subjects who walked for 90 minutes through a green park on campus, compared to next to a loud highway, exhibited “quieter” brains and dwelled less on the negative aspects of their lives compared to how they felt before the exercise in follow-up questions and brain scans. They also experienced less activity in the subgenual prefrontal cortex, the area of the brain associated with depression. Studies have also shown that those who walk in nature feel “more alive” experience less anxiety, and a sharper memory. Those of us adjusting to new routines might need to feel “more alive” right about now.
A University of California, Berkeley, team of researchers “studied the potential impact of nature on the willingness to be generous, trusting, and helpful toward others, while considering what factors might influence that relationship.” The researchers surrounded subjects with varying numbers of beautiful plants and then had them fill out a survey about how they felt afterwards. Once this was over, subjects were free to go or could offer to volunteer to make paper cranes for a relief program in Japan. A subject’s choice would be a measure of their willingness to help. The more plants the subjects were surrounded by the more cranes were made.
Even in the best of times, we could use the mental and physical benefits being in nature has to offer. Now it’s essential to our sanity that we get back to our roots, and appreciate the natural beauty around us. It’s amazing how taking a short walk can hit the reset button in our brains. I like to think that we can choose to come out of this as more grateful, mindful, generous versions of ourselves.