Craig Rebecca Comp

The Nurture of Nature summary

Relief of anxiety and stress, aid healing, and increase in concentration can all be effects of coming in contact with nature such as walking through the woods or seeing trees through the windows of a car while driving. Environmental psychologist andrea faber taylor says that there are two kinds of attention, direct and indirect attention. Directed attention tends to bring fatigue and affects our ability to make good decisions, while involuntary attention gives it a rest such as watching a fire or meditation or walking through nature. Students at texas a&m university discovered that people who travel along more scenic roads recover much more quickly from stressful driving than people who have to drive by more billboards and buildings and also did not respond as calmly to stressful situations as calmly as the drivers with scenic routes. With all of our methods to alleviate stress and anxiety with yoga or anxiety pills, the answer may be as simple as a garden or just a little bit of green in your life. It used to be divorce or loss of job, as a stressor, but now it is found that little things in everyday life can b a stressor which makes even small encounters with nature beneficial. A study with children living in apartments with some children having the view of nature and other children not, showed that the children with view of nature were better able to concentrate and control impulsive behavior. Creating more green spaces in urban areas may be able to minimize the stresses of everyday life saving ourselves in the long run.