Even though the action of going for a walk in the forest may seem quite banal, its effects on our brain – and in particular on our attention span – are surprisingly rapid. This is what comes out of the book Nature and the Mindwritten by Marc Berman, professor of psychology at the University of Chicago (United States), and which was published on August 12. According to a study that the researcher conducted in 2008 with two of his colleagues, a fifty-minute walk in nature can improve participants’ attention span by 20% compared to a walk in an urban environment.
“There is something about walking in nature that benefits our attention”explains Gloria Mark, professor of computer science at the University of California, interviewed by the American daily The New York Times. The researcher specifies, however, that this mechanism still remains theoretical: “We don’t really know the explanation for what’s happening.” This hypothesis is part of a body of research suggesting that simple contact with nature helps our brains recharge, although the exact mechanisms still remain mysterious.
Attention restoration theory was formulated in the 1980s by Rachel and Stephen Kaplan, psychologists at the University of Michigan, who posit that our attention span is a limited resource. Walking in a natural park recharges this resource, with cognitive test scores that can increase by almost 20%.
Why does nature recharge our brain?
According to Marc Berman, these benefits appear even if the walk is not a pleasant moment. Nature attracts our attention without overexerting it, unlike urban landscapes with oppressive shapes and incessant stimulation, as summarized by the online media Futurism.
Recent studies using eye tracking and electroencephalogram (EEG) show that brain activity and eye movements decrease in the presence of natural elements. Amy McDonnell, an American postdoctoral researcher at the University of Utah, carried out her experiment on that of Marc Berman and observed that the brain “recharged” after a walk in the forest, thus regaining its full capacity for attention during cognitive exercises.
All of this data suggests that contact with nature actually has an impact on our brains, even if science doesn’t know exactly why. Perhaps it is due to the simple change of environment, the marked contrast between the city and the countryside. Either way, your next trip to the park is worth taking seriously.
Think about it the next time you feel overwhelmed by the stress of screens and the city. Put on your walking shoes and try to find a little corner of nature, a park or a wood, if you are lucky enough to have one near you. Your brain might thank you faster than you think.
