Jun 13 2008
Look out of window when stressed!
A recent study by researchers at the Human Interaction with Nature and Technological Systems Lab at the University of Washington found that the scenes of nature can alleviate minor stress levels. So if you are stressed, then look out of your window and relax your mind and soul.
Various people’s heart recovery rate from minor stress is measured during the research when they were exposed to a natural scene through a window and when exposed to the same scene shown on a high-definition plasma screen, or a blank wall.
“The heart rate of people who looked at the scene through the window dropped more quickly than the others. In fact, the high-definition plasma screen had no more effect than the blank wall,” the researchers said.
There is no alternate to nature and natural things. One has to come in the lap of nature from the exhausted life to get its benefit. Children nowadays remain stick to television sets and computers and other such media which doesn’t help to come out of stress.
It was found that when people spent more time looking at the natural scene their heart rates tended to decrease more. That was not the case with the plasma screen.
Study says that nature, either the real thing or depicted technologically, can impact on minor stress levels.
“Technology is good and it can help our lives, but let’s not be fooled into thinking we can live without nature,” Peter Kahn, who led the research team, said.
He said “people were losing direct experiences with nature and instead experiencing nature represented technologically through television and other media with children growing up watching Discovery Channel and Animal Planet.”
The study, involving 90 students, is published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology.
