We’re busy people. So busy in fact that many of us barely make it outside the office unless there’s some kind of fire drill or coffee emergency.
But decades of research (and your grandma, probably) tell us sometimes a bit of fresh air and nature is all we need to reset, refuel and get back to it.
Researchers in Melbourne found that people who simply looked at nature for 40 seconds responded better to tasks than those who didn’t.
Hence why the idea of green roofs in city districts is becoming more and more accepted. Not just pretty and good for the environment, but necessary for productivity.
It gets better. There is some evidence that says you don’t even have to look at real-life nature -- it can simply be a picture of Mother Earth.
Researchers from Vrije University Medical Centre in the Netherlands asked 46 students to look at two sets of photos -- one of green scenery, the other a built space -- immediately following and preceding an acutely stressful period.
The findings published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health found the green scene was more restorative and worked as a recovery from stress.
Want to give it a try? Check your Zen levels after scrolling through some of Instagram’s most beautiful nature photographers.
Based on Australia's East Coast, Emilie Ristevski's Instagram is like stepping into an ethereal fairytale.
Paulo del Valle is a photographer from Brazil and self-described "citizen of the world."
Matt Donovan is a landscape photographer hailing from Sydney, who manages to capture exactly how breathtaking Australia really is.
Michael Shainblum is a photographer and filmmaker with a knack for capturing truly arresting images of water meeting land.
Jordan Herschel is an adventurist. Follow him for pure beauty and fun.
Lizzy Gadd is from Vancouver and packages up her love of dogs, nature, hiking and travel perfectly via her Instagram.
Travis Burke has been documenting his travels for over two years and his Instagram is basically wanderlust on steroids.