How a change in scenery changes your brain

My space is cozy and tidy. The papers that are on my desk are in neat piles. A few loose newspaper clippings are scattered about. Three books sit stacked on the corner and box of pens lays along the outer edge of that desk. This is just about right. Too much clutter, and I become restless and distracted. Too little, feels, well uncreative and stifling.

Environmental psychologist — one of those bigwigs who study how people live in their spaces — Sally Augustin says: “we are better in spaces with moderate visual complexity.”

There are clear links between our physical environment and our well-being and productivity. So, if you feel stressed out surrounded by waist high piles of laundry, now you know why.

The idea that external space affects our internal landscape is nothing new. The Ancient Greeks often incorporated gardens and fountains into their temples and gathering spaces as a way of building harmony among people. Their structures also had good acoustics and places for music so that they could rock out in an effort to foster feelings of peace and calm among those who ventured in.

In the last 10 years, through an emerging field called Neuro-Architecture, there’s been a new, unified effort between scientists and architects alike to understand the connection between brain function and structural design and then develop structures, as in hospitals and offices, that can improve health, productivity, and cognition.

Science has proven that people feel less stressed and healthier when they are closer to nature, surrounded by pleasant, natural sounds, and plenty of natural light, says Eve Edelstein, an architect and neurophysicist who is a Bigwig researcher and member of the Academy of Neuroscience for Architecture. Through functional magnetic resonance imaging scientists have seen the brain actually respond and activate (or slow down) in response to its environment. A change of scenery causes changes in the brain.

For centuries the ancient art of Feng Shui has also explored different ways to orient and decorate a room in order to promote positive energy flow. Good energy flowing naturally through a home or office leaves people feeling better, healthier, more productive and more connected to the higher energies, according to Feng Shui principles.

But, if you’ve ever worked in a cubicle without a window, you already know that. Without a view to the outside world we begin to feel limited, less creative, constricted, slightly insane (maybe that’s just me).

So if you are feeling stifled and stuck, take a look at the space you occupy. Simply tidying your desk, shifting a little furniture, getting your husband to fold the clothes, or adding in color or a potted plant might make you feel better.

Wednesday I’ll share some very specific things you can do to make both feel better. Here’s a hint: stay away from red.

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