A recent study has reinforced previous beliefs held by scientists that parks and other peaceful green spaces reduce stress and facilitate concentration, whereas urban chaos overwhelms and strains the human brain's ability to stay calm and focused - a condition known as brain fatigue. Park-like areas have been thought to invoke "soft fascination", or quiet contemplation that does not necessitate directed attention, allowing the brain to recharge.
This theory has been difficult to test. Studies have reflected the predicted results by testing levels of the stress hormone cortisol in those who live near trees and parks and those who live primarily amid concrete, by testing the performance of children with attention deficits on cognitive tests after walks through wooded areas, and by testing lab volunteers with electrodes attached to their heads while being shown images of natural and urban scenes.
The recent development of a lightweight, portable electroencephalogram, or EEG - a technology that studies brain wave patterns, has allowed a study in Scotland of the brains of 12 people as they walk a mile and a half through three different parts of Scotland ranging from an older, historic, lightly trafficked area, to a park-like setting and finally through a busy and heavily trafficked concrete-heavy commercial area. This study, though small, also reinforced that while natural environments still engage the mind, the attention demanded is effortless. According to Jenny Roe, a professor in the School of the Built Environment at Heriot-Watt University, who oversaw the study, "It's called involuntary attention in psychology. It holds our attention while at the same time allowing scope for reflection," and provides a respite from the mental drain of urban living.
The study supports "taking a break from work," Dr. Roe said, and "going for a walk in a green space or just sitting, or even viewing green spaces from your office window." Dr. Roe is assured that it is not an unproductive self-indulgence, but that it is "likely to have a restorative effect and help with attention fatigue and stress recovery."
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