Nature strengthens our executive attention
That interaction with nature improves our ability to pay attention and perform difficult tasks is clear from study after study.
The positive influence of nature is significant even with only short visits to nature. Green space around homes and schools improves cognitive development in children and mental function in adults. Researchers have even documented physical changes in the brain using MRI scans. One study found that children with greater access to green space had more gray matter in their brains, which is linked to advanced thinking and processing of information.
In an article in Outside Magazine 2023, Marc Berman, director of the Environmental Neuroscience Laboratory at the University of Chicago, says the evidence that nature increases brain power is "extremely strong". He continues, "Our interaction with nature improves working memory performance and our executive attention performance."
Executive attention, also known as our executive function, is our ability to complete higher-level thinking. It involves our ability to plan ahead, work towards goals, weigh complicated decisions, maintain focus and keep control of our emotions.
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