Looking at nature is good for you. Good for mental and physical restoration. Better memory. Better health. More satisfaction in life.
It’s good for productivity, too.
Photo © Jeanne Farrington
What’s amazing is that any of the following can reduce stress, improve mood, and increase productivity:
- A walk in a nature preserve
- A view of nature from an office window
- A little grass with even one tree
- Nature photos
Especially note: Even a glance at a picture from nature can make life and productivity better.
How easy is this? A window, a photo, a screen saver.
Here’s the start of a poem we read in high school. It stuck with me, because I loved the idea that nature holds so much for us, no matter our mood.
Thanatopsis
To him who in the love of Nature holds
Communion with her visible forms, she speaks
A various language; for his gayer hours
She has a voice of gladness, and a smile
And eloquence of beauty, and she glides
Into his darker musings, with a mild
And healing sympathy, that steals away
Their sharpness, ere he is aware.
William Cullen Bryant
We may not always notice, but nature has a restorative effect, especially after we’ve been working: directing our attention to the point where we feel fatigued, distracted, and even irritable. Pick a moment, take in a nature scene, feel restored, and do better work.
Resources
Article: Green is Good for You
Post: Memory Improved 20% by Nature Walk
Poem: Thanatopsis
Nature Photos via Email: The Daily Ray of Hope
