Have you ever wondered why you feel more creative when you're in a park than when you're in a cubicle at work? Or why you feel more focused in a quiet, clean room than in a cluttered, noisy one? It's not just coincidence. It's the power of the environment shaping our minds and our lives.
In the book, "How the Body Knows Its Mind: The Surprising Power of the Physical Environment to Influence How You Think and Feel", cognitive scientist Sian Beilock explores the profound impact our physical environment has on our mental processes. She delves into the science behind how our surroundings—from the natural landscapes we immerse ourselves in, to the noise levels we tolerate—can significantly affect our mood, creativity, and overall mental health.
In this blog post, we will explore key insights from Beilock's book, and discuss how we can harness the power of our environment to enhance our well-being, productivity, and even our success.
We'll also debunk some common misconceptions about focus and concentration, and reveal why a better environment isn't a luxury, but a necessity for our mental health and performance. &Better helps you feel better.
Can Our Surroundings Really Shape Our Mental State?
The environment we inhabit plays a significant role in shaping our cognitive abilities and overall well-being. This is a concept that Sian Beilock explores in depth in her book "How the Body Knows Its Mind".
Can Nature Really Enhance Our Cognitive Abilities?
One of the most compelling findings from Beilock's work is the profound impact of nature on our mental capacities. Research conducted by Frances Kuo, who runs the Landscape and Human Health Laboratory at the University of Illinois, reveals that natural surroundings are tied to enhanced working memory, which translates into increased concentration and self-control.
Kuo's research also highlights the benefits of green spaces in urban settings. For residents of inner-city housing projects, the presence of green spaces outside their windows was linked to less aggression and violence at home. This suggests that even a small area of natural environment outside your window can improve working memory and give you the self-discipline to manage stress effectively.
Can City Living Impact Our Mental Health?
While city living offers many conveniences, it also comes with its own set of challenges. City dwellers are at a 20% increased risk for developing anxiety disorders and a 40% increased risk for mood disorders compared with people who live in less populated areas. The incidence of schizophrenia is almost doubled in people born and brought up in cities relative to those who were not.
This doesn't mean that city living is inherently bad, but it does highlight the importance of incorporating green spaces into urban environments. Interacting with nature can help combat mental fatigue, improve mood, and enhance cognitive abilities.
Can Nature Breaks Boost Our Brainpower?
Taking breaks in nature can rejuvenate our brainpower. After spending time in a natural environment, people often report feeling healthier, both physically and mentally. This mental transformation is not just about feeling peaceful or quiet. Rather, nature's ability to modestly capture our involuntary attention and give the rest of our brain a break creates a big impact on how we function.
The Real Cost of Ignoring the Environment and Body
In our fast-paced, productivity-driven society, it's easy to dismiss the importance of focusing on our environment and physical state. We're often led to believe that the time spent in these areas could be better utilized by more tangible tasks. However, the book suggests a different perspective - it's not about wasting time, but about investing it wisely.
Consider urban environments, where most of us spend our days. They're teeming with stimuli - traffic noise, bustling crowds, visual distractions - that constantly vie for our attention. Such distractions can exhaust our directed attention, a cognitive resource that enables us to focus on specific tasks despite irrelevant distractions. Imagine your directed attention as a battery; each distraction drains a little bit of its energy.
On the contrary, spending time in natural environments or focusing on our body through mindfulness exercises like deep breathing can help restore this drained battery. These restorative activities can significantly enhance our ability to concentrate and work more efficiently. Hence, this isn't about spending time; it's about using time as a strategic tool to boost cognitive performance.
Hard to see Long-term Payoff?
When we're caught up in the rush of achieving short-term goals, the long-term benefits of such practices may seem blurry. It may even appear that those who don't pay heed to their body or environment are sprinting ahead. However, the benefits of focusing on our environment and body state aren't immediately tangible but accumulate over time.
The book references a study where students who took a walk in a natural environment performed better on tests of directed attention than those who didn't. The implications are profound: engaging in a restorative environment can improve cognitive performance, which can gradually lead to better problem-solving skills, increased productivity, and enhanced well-being. Over time, these seemingly small enhancements can accumulate to significant differences, giving you an edge in your personal and professional life.
Focus Amidst Noise: A Strength or Just a Misunderstanding?
In certain cultures, the ability to concentrate in a noisy environment is lauded, perceived as a testament to resilience and mental fortitude. But does that imply those who seek a quieter, more serene environment are fragile or weak-willed? The book presents an alternative perspective.
While it's possible to focus amidst noise and chaos, it's not the ideal setting for focus and productivity. The brain can adapt to and work around distractions, but this comes at a cost: the constant need to filter out irrelevant stimuli exhausts our directed attention resources, reducing cognitive performance over time. In contrast, quieter environments, particularly those close to nature, can help restore directed attention, enhancing our cognitive capacities.
The individuals who seek better environments aren't necessarily fragile; instead, they're leveraging their understanding of the environment's effects on cognition to optimize their performance. It's about strategic use of one's resources and environment to work smarter, not merely harder.
The Power of Conscious Choices
As we've explored, our environment significantly influences our mental state, cognitive abilities, and overall well-being. Making conscious choices about our surroundings, from the natural landscapes we immerse ourselves in, to the noise levels we tolerate, can significantly enhance our mental health and productivity.
In the same vein, making conscious choices about the products we use can have a profound impact on our environment. By choosing brands like &Better, which prioritize sustainability and offer products in plastic-free packaging, we can reduce our plastic consumption and support businesses that are making a conscious effort to reduce their environmental footprint.
In essence, the power to shape our minds and our world lies in our hands. It's about making conscious choices - about our environment, our body, and the products we use. It's about understanding that these choices aren't just about immediate gains but long-term benefits that accumulate over time. And it's about recognizing that every small step we take towards a better environment and a better body contributes to a better world.
With &Better, you're not just making a purchase; you're joining a movement that respects your body, mind, and the world around you. So, when you choose &Better, you're choosing to feel unique, to feel cared for, and to feel connected. You're choosing to make a positive impact on the plastic crisis and to contribute to a sustainable future. And most importantly, you're choosing to Feel Better, Look Better, and Do Better.
