Breathing space
Spending time in nature could make you a better researcher .
By Emilie Lauer
Nature has a positive impact on both physical and mental health ; it reduces stress , relaxes mind and body , increases creativity and boosts focus .
Pressure to find funding , publishing deadlines and team management are , among others , a common stress denominator in researchers ’ lives . Being stressed can impact productivity and creativity , slowing down academics in their research .
However , this can be overcome by spending time in nature , says senior lecturer at the University of Southern Queensland , Dr Yong Goh .
According to Goh , when stressed , academics ( and people generally ) are subjected to a ‘ tunnel vision ’ that impedes their capacity to find solutions .
“ It actually has an effect on creativity . The whole mind is focused on what you need to get done , it ’ s like tunnel vision and you can ’ t find solutions ,” Goh told Campus Review .
“ In the long term stress can also take a toll on wellbeing and create depression and anxiety .”
In a survey conducted in the UK , 70 % of university staff indicated feeling stressed while working and 49 % revealed having difficulty dealing with work-related stress .
In Australia and New Zealand , academics also suffer from high levels of stress that has been exacerbated by the last two years of the COVID-19 pandemic .
Goh believes that spending time in nature is the solution to reduce stress effectively , and by extension , makes you a better researcher .
“ Being in nature helps reduce the hormones that cause stress and helps improve the positive hormones such as dopamine , endorphins and serotonins , that relaxes our body and reverses the stress effects ,” Goh said .
“ Nature helps your mind to recover , feel more positive about yourself , think more clearly , feel more confident , and allows you to be more focused .”
According to Goh , spending time in nature allows people to reach a high optimal state of mind that provides more accurate decision making .
“ In that state , you are in a better position to see situations and problems from different angles and find a solution and therefore , you ’ re able to make better decisions to solve the problem ,” added Goh .
Goh believes that , by its benefits , nature provides a safe space for people to recharge and rejuvenate and be happier .
“ When you ’ re positive you are able to establish good relationships with your colleagues ,” Goh said .
Having plants and green walls in workplaces can only benefit employees and their productivity as greenery provides a distraction when stressed .
“ You look at your surroundings , which are very natural and very comfortable and then that can generate the benefits that you ’ ll find immersed in nature .
“ When the workplace has a lot of plants , you can easily bring that positive state up just by spending a few moments looking at the plants or the bushes next to you or through the window .”
When you ’ re positive you are able to establish good relationships with your colleagues .
Goh suggests that universities should incorporate nature not only in common spaces but also in their building design . “ If you look at Balinese architecture design or Korean architecture design , one of the principles is to bring nature into our living environment .
“ In these architecture concepts we don ’ t feel that we are far away from nature and can benefit from its advantages .”
To fully benefit from nature , Goh advises to spend time alone in a spot that feels safe and comfortable for the individual .
“ The longer the better , but there are no set rules ; it is a feeling more than a timed experience .”
Goh emphasises the importance of spending time in nature as part of ‘ a way of life ’ rather than a tool used only when stressed .
“ When you spend time in nature regularly , whether you are stressed or not , you always maintain an optimum state of mind because it ’ s a way of life .”
“ My best thinking comes from spending time in outdoor onsen in Japan , and in the mountains in Korea .
“ I think , for me at least , it works because as a researcher we don ’ t just have to think about new ways of doing things , new ways of finding an answer to our questions , but also think about how we can interpret and answer what we found , how we can think outside of the box ,” Goh said . ■
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