TODAY’S SPECIAL EDITION MICRO RESOLUTION SPEND MORE TIME IN NATURE

View this post with graphics in your browser

Happy Monday! With two resolutions under your belt, we hope you’re sleeping better and continuing to exercise. Before we dive into our next big mini resolution, we’re taking this opportunity to recognize Earth Day with a micro resolution to spend more time in nature!

CCP helps you stay on track!
 
For questions or assistance, email your Motivated Mondays Coach Michele McCambridge:
 
[email protected]

Exposure to Nature

It’s been nearly 170 years since Thoreau’s exploration of living simply surrounded by nature, Walden, was published. In it, he famously says, “We need the tonic of wildness… we can never have enough of nature.”
 
This thought still holds true and is especially salient when we’re talking about cognition.

Immersion in Nature and Cognition
 
A growing body of evidence has shown that exposure to nature improves performance on cognitive tasks, whereas urban exposure may be detrimental to cognitive tasks. For example, a recent study found that those who walked for 35 minutes outdoors scored significantly better on the Stroop cognitive task than those who walked indoors on a treadmill. And a follow-up study found that those who walked outside in a forest scored better on a cognitive task than those who walked in an urban environment.
 
This phenomenon is supported by the ART theory, or attentive restorative theory, wherein the limited number of alerting stimuli in nature vs. urban environments allows the brain’s directed-attention mechanisms to replenish because it is using bottom-up involuntary attention.

Exposure to Green Spaces and Cognitive Decline

The health benefits of exposure to nature are so profound that some doctors have taken to prescribing time outdoors. Similarly, the Japanese practice of Forest Bathing has really taken off.
 
Those who reside in areas with high green space have a reduced risk of developing dementia. In those with dementia, time outdoors has been shown to improve mood and reduce agitation.
 
The proposed mechanisms by which exposure to green spaces may prevent neurodegeneration include:

Improved Circadian Rhythm (CR) function by exposure to daylight’s blue light. You may recall from our resolution to sleep better how critical CR function is to sleep quality and duration. Virtually every cell in the body has its own circadian rhythm. A 2026 study found that exposure to daylight vs. an office environment improved glucose control. Metabolic diseases have previously been identified as independent risk-factors for dementia

Reduced perceived stress and reduced stress biomarkers. The body’s “fight or flight” response is activated under stress, and being in nature applies the brakes by initiating the “rest and digest” system. Chronically existing in “fight or flight” mode exposes the body to a cascade of biochemicals that promote inflammation, oxidative stress and increase blood pressure. Hypertension is an independent risk factor for dementia. We will have a future mini resolution on reducing the physiological response to stress.

Providing olfactory enrichment. There is an interesting association between loss of smell and dementia. Based on evidence in both cognitive function tests and neurological imaging, smell training has been suggested as a low-cost, accessible tool for protecting against cognitive decline. Being outdoors exposes us to the terpenes of plants and trees and the aromatic compounds given off by them. An added bonus is the positive effect on mood from exposure to these terpenes

Interestingly, the benefits of being in nature can be achieved in as little as 15 minutes and seem to top out at 90 minutes.
 
Even if you’re feeling a bit skeptical, what do you have to lose? This week, synergize your walk with nature each day by lacing up those sneakers, grabbing a friend or the dog and heading out to the green spaces in your neighborhood. Bonus points if you take your walk after lunch! Importantly, be sure take a moment to see if your exposure to nature affects your mental outlook and ability to concentrate later in the day.
 
Then track those thoughts on the log or email us ([email protected]).