By Linda Wiggen Kraft, Healthy Planet Green & Growing Editor
I don’t think anyone would disagree that these are uncalm times. An election to determine if democracy will survive has most of the U.S. population on edge. As I write this here are 67 wildfires raging in our country, most of them caused by humans. And looking around the world there is much to be anxious about. Of course, we go about our daily lives surrounded by much beauty, kindness and love. But even with these things, we could all use ways to calm our minds and bodies.
Spending time in nature can help calm us. When our attention is caught up in online scrolling, working on focused tasks at home or work, or even walking in a busy urban environment, our attention is focused. We are focused when we keep scrolling and scrolling, engrossed in finishing our tasks, or looking for traffic as we cross the noisy street. These activities keep us focused on ever changing surroundings and thoughts. This focused attention is scientifically called “directed attention”. Directed attention over time causes attention fatigue. It is a different more gentle attention that we find when we are in nature. When we see beauty in a garden, the ocean, an open prairie, a mountain, rivers or an ocean our attention is scientifically called “effortless attention”. When we spend time in nature our attention is freer, there is less demand for immediate focus. We can let our minds wander as we wander through these spaces. Effortless attention restores us mentally and physically and relieves focused attention fatigue. This is why our minds and bodies are restored in nature settings, not drained.
The wisdom and healing of spending time in nature has been known for many years. It has been studied for decades. In Japan the benefits of taking time to walk and be in nature have been proven scientifically for over four decades. The Japanese practice of Forest Bathing (Shinrin-yoku) where people walk through forests to be in the beauty of nature and inhale the scents of trees has proven health benefits of lower blood pressure, pulse rates and stress. The first Forest-Bathing park in Japan was established in 1982. There are now over 70 public parks that are specifically Shinrin-yoku parks to help improve people’s health.
In the United States scientific studies to show nature heals us were started in the 1980s. There is a therapy based on Attention Restoration Theory (ART) that prescribes spending time in nature to restore mind and body. In so doing we can return to focused attention by being more aware and focused afterwards. In hospital settings, patients who were able to look out onto nature, or even photos of nature, healed faster and needed less medication. A study done at the University of Michigan with women who were just diagnosed and soon after treatment for breast cancer showed those who were prescribed spending two hours a week in nature before and after surgery were able to be more focused and able to complete hard mental tasks better than those who did not spend time outdoors. Often the shock of diagnosis, treatment and recovery makes mental tasks hard to do. A study at the University of Illinois looked at Attention Restoration Theory as an aid to help children ages 7 to 11 who were diagnosed with ADD and ADHD. Parents kept track of the types and times of outdoor activities and how their children responded. The study concluded that: “Results indicate that children function better than usual after activities in green settings and that the “greener” a child’s play area, the less severe his or her attention deficit symptoms. Thus, contact with nature may support attentional functioning in a population of children who desperately need attentional support.”
We can calm our own mind and body by engaging in the “effortless attention” that nature provides. We are fortunate to have amazing public spaces and parks in our region from cities, to suburbs, to rural areas. Spend time in a garden, an outdoor open space, a woodland to help bring more calm to your life. Let your feet and mind wander in the wonder of nature.
Linda Wiggen Kraft is a landscape designer of holistic/organic gardens. She is an artist and creativity workshop leader. Her ceramic jewelry and pottery are available online and at www.gardendistrictstl.com. Find out more, subscribe to her blog and Instagram at www.creativityforthesoul.com Call her at 314 504-4266.