Using Nature to Reduce Stress

We've all heard that getting outside in nature is a natural stress reducer. Just making contact between your bare feet and the ground changes your physiology, lowering stress hormones, increasing insulin sensitivity, and more. But did you know that just looking at nature also reduces stress? So whenever you're stuck inside, try to position your workspace so that you have a view of nature outside. Can't do that? Conveniently, looking at representations of nature also reduce stress, just not as much as looking at nature itself. Any natural scene or image with more organic qualities (e.g., curves instead of right angles) will help lower your stress hormones and positively impact body function (including brain function, of course). You can also bring nature inside with plants and picking up a bouquet of flowers whenever you go to the store. 

Spend more time outside, bring the outside inside any way you can, and enjoy the peaceful effect that just looking at nature has on us. :)