The Benefits of Engaging with Nature
There are several benefits to engaging with nature:
- Nature helps to reduce both physical and psychological stress levels.
- There's a strong connection between time spent in nature and reduced stress, anxiety, and depression.
- Connectedness to nature leads to improved environmentalism later in life.
- Nature helps improve focus.
Attention Restoration Theory (ART)
Attention Restoration Theory separates attention into two categories: involuntary attention, which is attention that is captured inherently because it is intriguing or important and is maintained effortlessly, and directed attention, which is attention that is directed by cognitive-control processes. ART suggests that exposure to nature improves attention. Limited access to restorative experiences in nature lead to cognitive fatigue, decreased effectiveness, and increased human error.
If you're unable to go outside
No worries! You can still tap into the benefits of engaging with nature. A study shows that viewing pictures of nature improves executive attention in adults. It's also been studied and shown that having nature artwork displayed in your proximity can lead to a decrease in stress and anxiety as well as an increase in learning ability. Taking small breaks to look out a window at a natural landscape also helps with increasing focus.