Nature and Our Brains

Nature has the power to improve our mental performance!

Sep 30, 2024

Hey Brain Rewirers,

Welcome to this weeks newsletter! This week we’re leaving the house and going into nature. Let’s chat about Attention Restoration Theory.

Attention Restoration Theory

Attention Restoration Theory proposes that time spent in nature can improve concentration and mental fatigue¹. The brain can focus on specific tasks through a network involving the prefrontal cortex and the thalamus which sensory attention². However, we know that at a certain point, we become cognitively fatigued, and performance decreases³. This is why when we talked about productivity, I mentioned techniques like the Pomodoro Method, which call for regular mini-breaks to allow the brain to rest.

ART suggests that looking at nature encourages effortless brain function, allowing cognitive recovery⁴. A recent systematic review found that many studies find benefits of being in nature. However, some studies did not show benefit. This suggests we still don’t understand which types of attention benefit from nature⁵. This is not totally surprising: more than three brain networks are important to different aspects of attention⁶.

Let’s dive in.

Attentional Fatigue

Attentional fatigue is important because it is associated with poorer decision-making and lower levels of self-control⁷. This can affect obvious things like driving⁸ and work, but it can also affect our health⁹! Decision-making and self-control are central to our ability to exercise, eat healthily, and do things that make us happy. Attentional fatigue biases us towards sad stimuli¹⁰ and makes it difficult to remain motivated, a crucial factor for obesity¹¹.

We need to find ways to restore our attention when we experience attentional fatigue.

Nature

We see that exposure to nature leads to better cognitive performance compared to exposure to urban environments¹². This occurs even after we’ve exhausted our working memory¹³, and is aided by both the visual aspects of nature and the auditory aspects of nature¹⁴.And this restoration is even observed at the level of brainwaves: we see that watching videos of nature leads to the physiological restoration of alpha brainwaves¹⁵.

Why?

Exposure to nature leads to a decrease in brain activity in the prefrontal cortex and amygdala, allowing for attentional restoration and a mental rest. Created with BioRender.com

Evidence shows that one hour of exposure to nature leads to decreased amygdala activation, the centre for fear and stress¹⁶. There is also a decrease of activity in the prefrontal cortex, the area responsible for detecting attention, supporting the idea that nature gives the brain a break¹⁷. The biophilia hypothesis suggests that because our ancestors evolved in the natural world, we are genetically predisposed to be attracted to nature¹⁸.

Whatever the reason, if you’re feeling stressed or mental fatigue, I highly suggest a walk outdoors! That’s why I bought a farm 😊

Brain Health Optimisation

While we’re on the topic of brain health, I had an exciting request for any supplements that I recommend to support our mental health. Getting into nature, getting exercise, and getting enough sleep is crucial to mental wellbeing. But so is our diet!

The goal with our meals should be to get all the vitamins and minerals we need, and when thinking about supplements, we should first consider where we can change our diet to get these nutrients. We should also consider getting a blood test if we’re unsure about what we need!

The nutrients I highly recommend making sure you get enough of to care for your mental health are:

*Disclaimer: If you’re having anxiety or depression symptoms, or any other struggle with mental health, please talk to your doctor! This post is purely educational and not medical advice.*

Omega-3’s - This can be found in your diet (19), typically in fish, and sometimes in nuts and seeds. This can make it difficult to get enough Omega-3’s if you’re vegetarian, vegan, or allergic to shellfish. We know that Omega-3 fatty acids are critical for normal brain function, however, there is inconclusive evidence about the effect of Omega-3s on depression and anxiety (20,21).
Magnesium - This one can also be found in your diet (22): eat leafy greens like spinach, nuts, seeds, and whole grains! There are still ongoing investigations to confirm the full impact of magnesium on mental health, but new studies show that eating magnesium is associated with larger brain volumes (23).
Vitamin D - We cannot get this one through our diet as it comes from the sun, so if you live in a grey country like England (24), I would recommend taking supplements for it! Although this is important for our brain health, always check with a doctor if you’re feeling unwell (25).
Creatine - This we can get from meats, and is made within our liver, kidney, and pancreas, so it’s really important to consult a doctor about if you need supplements, and if so, the right dose for you. There is preliminary evidence for creatine in exercise performance, heart disease, and COPD (26).

Until Next Week,

Nicole x

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