How you could improve your attention span with just a 15-minute walk in nature
Humans are very good at concentrating, but our focus only lasts for so long. Experts say exposure to nature can recharge us
Walking in nature for as little as 15 to 20 minutes can improve your attention span – even if you do not always enjoy it.
Environmental neuroscientist Marc Berman explains how the natural environment can help restore people’s frazzled, overstimulated nervous systems in his new book, Nature and the Mind: The Science of How Nature Improves Cognitive, Physical and Social Well-Being.
Berman, founder and director of the Environmental Neuroscience Laboratory at the University of Chicago in the US state of Illinois, is also professor and chair of the university’s psychology department and co-director of the master of computational social science programme.
“But they still showed the same cognitive benefit as the people that walked in June,” he said. “For these cognitive benefits, it’s not about liking the interaction. It’s something deeper. It’s how we process natural stimulation.”
