“Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.” – Albert Einstein
Forget something important? Can’t focus? Feeling uninspired? What if there were a free, safe, and accessible way to enhance our memory, attention span, and problem-solving, while also boosting creativity and kindness? Good news: spending time in nature can significantly improve our cognitive capacity. Nature exposure from indoors—a window looking onto a garden—works also.
Studies have identified several specific aspects of cognition which improve when we are in natural environments:
Attention:
Being able to pay sustained attention is important on many different levels. Learning, work performance, and relationships are impacted. Poor attention also significantly increases the risk of accidents.
Our attention spans have dropped considerably over the past 20 years—in all ages. There are many theories as to the underlying reasons, but informational bombardment and the ubiquity of computers and smart phones are major factors. Nature deficit is another, as children spend less time outdoors.
The prevalence of childhood ADHD has increased markedly; according to a recent CDC report, about 1 million more children were diagnosed with ADHD in 2022 compared with 2016. Greater awareness of the disorder and pandemic-related factors seem to account for some, but not all, of the increase.
Nature exposure can boost attention. For example, more green space surrounding schools and homes has been correlated with improved learning, attention, and self-control.
A study of women with breast cancer showed a greater improvement in attention after engaging in 120 minutes per week of nature exposure (compared with women in the control group). There were various options for nature exposure, some indoors (sitting by a window with a natural view, listening to birdsong, etc.) and some outdoors (gardening, visiting a scenic spot, etc.).
In another study, college students were given a series of tests measuring attention while sitting in their dorm rooms. Those with natural views from their dorm windows performed better vs. those looking out on a “built view” (walls, roads, other buildings).
Working memory:
Like “mental sticky notes,” working memory allows us to retain a limited amount of information for a short period of time, which we then use to solve a problem or complete a task. It allows us to interpret and manipulate the information we are holding in our in short term memory. We use working memory, for example, to understand what we are reading. And when learning a new song on the guitar. In school, it underlies basic learning, such as math and reading. Working memory also aids in decision-making.
In one nature study, people were given the backward digit-span test, where they were asked to remember a series of digits and repeat them backwards. They were then assigned to either a 50-minute walk in the Ann Arbor Arboretum or a “traffic heavy” walk through downtown and were tested again after the walk. The nature walk (vs. the urban walk) significantly improved performance.
A separate study showed a similar result after exposure to natural sounds (e.g. bird song, moving water, wind) vs. urban sounds (e.g. traffic, machinery).
Cognitive flexibility:
Cognitive flexibility is one of our brain’s more sophisticated “executive functions.” It refers to our ability to switch between different tasks and respond to changing rules and stimuli. It helps us adapt to new situations and to solve problems; we are better able to come up with alternative solutions.
When presented with new and better information, we can shift our belief system (and skill set) Instead of being stuck in our older ways of thinking and functioning, we are more likely to challenge ourselves and try new things (the proverbial old dog learning new tricks).
Cognitive flexibility also allows us to consider alternative viewpoints and see things from other perspectives—to put ourselves in other people’s shoes. This fosters kindness and connection. Navigating complex social interactions is vital for our emotional health (and adolescence is a particularly crucial time in this regard.) Cognitive flexibility helps us to deal with challenges such as interpersonal conflicts, peer pressure, and initiating new relationships. It also strengthens emotional stability by helping us deal with setbacks and cope with difficult feelings.
Creativity:
Spending time in natural environments boosts creative thinking. By reducing stress and anxiety, nature is mentally restorative. It can also stimulate our curiosity and imagination. We often feel more open and inspired. The visual and auditory properties of the natural world are easier on our brains, allowing for “attentional restoration” and for our minds to wander in ways which enhance creativity. (This seems to contradict the information about improved attention, but nature can enhance both our capacity for sustained concentration and beneficial mind wandering.)
We are therefore better able to think in different ways and see things from new angles. Our curiosity is aroused by things that don’t seem to work well, and we are more likely to come up with original ideas. We may recognize patterns and connections that weren’t obvious before.
One study showed a remarkable 50% improvement in creative problem-solving after spending four days immersed in nature and disconnected from technology. Adults who went on a four-day backpacking trip scored significantly better on a measure of creative thinking when tested on the last day of the trip (vs. before the trip.)
In a survey of creative professionals in Denmark (including artists, actors, musicians, architects, etc.), all participants reported that being in natural spaces enhanced their creativity. They identified various underlying factors: feeling calm/peaceful; a sense of openness/limitless/space; breaking out of usual habits; fascination; surprise; and inspiration from natural visual patterns and sounds.
Theories:
There are multiple theories as to how nature exposure strengthens thinking and memory. Being in nature does improve sleep quality, which significantly improves cognition. Also, the well-established beneficial effects of nature on mood, anxiety and stress play a role. (We all think more clearly when less stressed.) We also derive cognitive benefit from being “away” from the stressors, tasks, and places of daily life.
Attentional restoration is a leading theory: natural stimuli (visual, sounds, smells) are softer and gentler, triggering our “involuntary” attention. Natural environments are easier for our senses to process (for example, fewer straight edges) and more pleasing. This differs from “sharper” stimuli such a car horns and from the more draining “directed” attention we sustain at work or in urban environments. The theory holds that spending time in nature replenishes our attentional capacity.
Action:
The practical implications are numerous, and most are not complicated to implement. Children benefit from spending time outside (and away from screens). We can prioritize the creation and protection of natural areas, green spaces, and parks. Outdoor recess should also be protected and possibly expanded (with the big bonus of better attention span and engagement in school). Schools, residences, and offices can be designed with windows looking out onto natural areas and trees. And we can spend more family and friend time outdoors—meeting for a walk in the park, for example.
And the next time you are feeling creatively blocked or mentally burned out, and you’ve already had your share of coffee, it may help to put down your work, leave your screens behind, and spend time in nature.
