How many times have I written, “it’s not rocket science…nature is good for you?” Well for the umpteenth time, I’m saying it again, and so is NBC. A recent NBC article discusses why natural scenery improves your mood and makes you more productive. They quote the results of an article published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology which outlines the benefits of having just 40 second green views can have on sustaining attention, less errors and more consistency. This is because it boosts sub-cortical arousal and cortical attention control.
They also talk about the current trend for Forest Bathing, “Shinrin-yoku”, which is coming as a wellness trend to the west from Japan. For the first time, field research has been conducted on this, and is outlined in Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine. It reveals the benefits of being in nature: from improved central nervous activity, heart rate to cortisol levels. The visual stimulus of nature is beneficial to us all.
NBC also astutely realises that not all companies “will have the funds to install a scaled-down waterfall in the atrium of their building. So what are some low-intensity, cost-efficient ways that you can introduce nature to your office?” Bring a plant to work, bring in images of nature and even introducing nature “sounds” into your office can relax you.
Biophilic, human-centric design is SO important to our wellbeing. To think we make square boxes of grey walls and expect our staff to keep happy, want to come in everyday and not call in sick. Simple changes to your interiors can make the world of difference to your people, whether they are in the office, in A&E or a call-centre. Make them feel good, give them the gift of nature.
Contact us to help you with your installation. We can create mock-ups of your space and show you how it can look, we can advise on images, source images, create them bespoke for you.
