Connecting with Nature with a Picture!

#VitaminN

There's no need to travel far for your daily dose of vitamin N (N for Nature). All you need is a picture to awaken your visual and auditory sensory organs, instantly experiencing nature that helps you relax.

In a hospital in America, a scholar enlisted postoperative patients to participate in a study. The study shows that patients in rooms with a view of the natural environment needed fewer potent pain relievers than patients in rooms with a view of concrete structures [1].

Situated in the concrete forest that is Hong Kong, we city dwellers may not always have access to a view of nature. Yet there are studies introducing a very simple alternative— pictures of nature! These pictures can stimulate the parasympathetic system and relieve stress [2].

If you just place a snapshot of nature in your office or room to look at when you’re tired, it can already work the magic and leave you relaxed and recharged for the day ahead — don’t overlook the power vested in one captured image!

Aside from relying on our sight, we can also use our hearing to unwind and loosen up. A study has found that the human brain’s default mode network changes when exposed to different background sounds. When we hear artificial sounds, our cognitive level and attention are stimulated; yet naturalistic sounds lessen our cognitive load, thereby allowing our brains to literally “unload” and ease up [3].

However hectic life gets, we can still take a few moments to listen to the chirps of the birds and the rustling of the leaves, grasping these small interludes in life to bathe in nature and relaxation.

You can refer to the following articles if you are interested in learning more:

[1] Ulrich, R. S. (1984). View Through a Window May Influence Recovery from Surgery. Science, 224(4647), 420–421. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.6143402

[2] van den Berg, M., Maas, J., Muller, R., Braun, A., Kaandorp, W., van Lien, R., van Poppel, M., van Mechelen, W., & van den Berg, A. (2015). Autonomic Nervous System Responses to Viewing Green and Built Settings: Differentiating Between Sympathetic and Parasympathetic Activity. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 12(12), 15860–15874. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph121215026

[3] Gould van Praag, C., Garfinkel, S., Sparasci, O., Mees, A., Philippides, A., Ware, M., Ottaviani, C., & Critchley, H. (2017). Mind-wandering and alterations to default mode network connectivity when listening to naturalistic versus artificial sounds. Scientific Reports, 7.

The Benefits of “Vitamin N”➤➤

A Practice A Month ➤ bit.ly/3bYkSGF Magic of Phytoncide ➤ bit.ly/3Pu3KHp De-stress and be relaxed in nature ➤ https://bit.ly/3NZTR2N

For more information about "Into the Woods" ➤➤➤ https://www.lungfushannaturalist.hku.hk/intothewoods