I was thinking to myself "what is it that I need ? something is missing and I am stressed out!" I live in a small apartment and I study most of the day - and I was feeling terrible- so after reading your article I got myself a giant rain forrest poster - 4 plants - and reorganized my study area - got some nature music, that I listen daily during study breaks- while I look at my green poster-
I am happy to report that:
My focus has increased dramatically - my stress peaks or anxiety spikes feel less intense - and I feel more productive-

THanks

Thanks for your comment! I'll be writing soon about the beneficial effects of just looking at nature (like the poster in your apartment). It's amazing how much better we can feel when exposed to plants and nature. Living in the city can be a challenging in this way, so we simply have to make the effort--like you did! Get some plants, go on a picnic, put-up some nice nature photos or posters--it all helps.

In my experience it is not just nature but the color green that has a soothing and calming affect. It is true that nature is soothing and calming but is looking at a sand dune soothing and calming. Not really, it is the trees and green grass that is soothing. Hills are inspiring, ocean movement mesmerizes us, and science has already shown that some indoor plants make the air better for us which in turn will improve memory and concentration. But it is the green that calms us. IMHO for the research to be effective it needs to separate out each factor that is involved and like the author indicated at the end not just look at the presence or absence of plants. Would a cactus have the same affect as a dieffenbachia or would an artificial silk tree that never needs maintenance and a good ionizing air filter be just as effective...

Hi Beverly,

Thanks for your comments. To my knowledge, the types of comparisons that you suggest have not been tested yet experimentally. There are a lot of possibilities, which need to be sorted out. Interestingly, the most commonly applied explanation, Attention Regulation Theory, simply references the diffusion of attention in natural settings as opposed to specific colors, plants, landscapes, etc.

Color-wise, we know that different colors are correlated with particular emotions, and green is associated with a sense of calm. I'll take a peek at the research and see how such findings have been applied to urban settings. Thanks again, Jon