Feb. 22 2010

Walking in the woods makes you smarter

bobulate:

Seth Fischer on giving your brain a needed break, or “attention restorative theory:”

When you go for a walk in, say, the woods, you’re using a more subtle “involuntary attention” when looking at things like sunsets or squirrels. When you’re in the city, you’re always avoiding that asshole bicyclist, stepping over that pile of human poo, or spending your brain power ignoring the Rottweiler barking at you in the window. Because your “direct attention” is always focused, your prefrontal cortex is always on overdrive, and you end up not being as good at things that you need “direct attention” for, like learning at school or solving problems you haven’t faced before or resolving conflict. In other words, if you don’t take some time to look at a sunset, your brain never gets a break, and that’s not good.

Before you take a hike, see also: “The Cognitive Benefits of Interacting With Nature“ or the slightly less complex, “The Cognitive Benefits of Nature.”

to everyone who asks why i don’t live in new york city, here is my proverbial middle finger/your answer.

  1. likedifferentstars reblogged this from bobulate
  2. anotheraveragejoe reblogged this from willw2 and added:
    I wish there were woods close to me.
  3. chelcorange reblogged this from willw2
  4. willw2 reblogged this from bobulate
  5. smotherthesun reblogged this from bobulate
  6. felodymisch reblogged this from laplumeabelle
  7. laplumeabelle reblogged this from nikorette and added:
    bobulate:Seth Fischer on giving your brain a needed break, or “attention restorative theory:” When you go for a walk in,...
  8. nikorette reblogged this from bobulate
  9. soosixty reblogged this from bobulate
  10. eatingandsleeping reblogged this from bobulate
  11. doggabone reblogged this from bobulate
  12. toddfraser reblogged this from bobulate
  13. archivalproject reblogged this from bobulate and added:
    Perhaps this is why I felt so recharged after spending four days in San Blas, Panama doing nothing but looking at the...
  14. sheeeeeeep reblogged this from bobulate
  15. invraisemblable reblogged this from bobulate and added:
    I already knew this but the city has fried my brain so much that I needed reminding.
  16. aparticularpath reblogged this from bobulate
  17. ryanmeehan reblogged this from bobulate and added:
    Might sound counter-intuitive, but I wonder if...same applies to long drives in the car?...
  18. tratlee reblogged this from jratlee and added:
    Nature asks nothing of you and gives you everything. booyah
  19. 12easypieces reblogged this from bobulate
  20. givinchycowgirl reblogged this from compositional and added:
    this has become inconvenient: Walking...woods makes you smarter Ummm, yes, there are
  21. jratlee reblogged this from bobulate and added:
    to everyone who asks why i don’t live in new york city, here is my proverbial middle finger/your answer.
  22. compositional reblogged this from bobulate and added:
    This is what bothered me the most about living in the middle of DC, I think, was the lack of woods. If (when?) I move...