Did you know your brain has a finite amount of energy for paying attention?
We spend our days using our "directed attention" — the focused, top-down energy required for writing emails, solving problems or navigating busy streets. But just like a phone battery, this mental energy drains down. When it gets too low, we hit "mental fatigue" — that frustrating feeling of burnout, irritability and inability to focus.
The solution? A quick, effective nature reset!
The science behind the mental massage
The key difference between a city street and a forest trail is how they demand your attention.
According to Marc Berman, Ph.D., a professor of psychology at the University of Chicago, natural environments are uniquely designed to recharge our brains:
- Urban environments: These are full of dramatic stimuli (sirens, traffic, billboards) that dramatically grab your attention and then demand your directed energy (like focusing intensely to avoid a car). They are mentally draining.
- Natural environments: These are filled with intriguing stimuli (a bird call, rustling leaves) that gently grab your focus. This is called "bottom-up attention."
How nature restores your focus
In nature, you are paying attention in a different, more relaxed way. Let's break down the two types of attention:
| Attention type | In nature | In the city |
|---|---|---|
| Bottom-up (involuntary) | Noticing a cloud shape or a butterfly flutter. Automatic, relaxing and effortless. | Your eyes instantly lock onto a sudden flash of light or a loud noise. |
| Top-down (directed) | Planning your route on the trail or identifying a specific bird species. Requires effort and concentration. | Writing a sentence, calculating a budget or paying close attention to traffic. |
When you are in a green space, you don't have to pay intense directed attention. Your mind can softly wander and focus on gentle details. This simple shift allows your overtaxed directed attention capacity to take a much-needed break and replenish.
Think of going outside as giving yourself the ultimate gift: a mental break, a mind massage and a chance to quickly top off your energy reserves.
Your five-minute brain reset routine
Ready to try it? Give yourself a moment of green today!
- Schedule it: Set a timer for a few five-minute breaks throughout your workday.
- Step outside: Walk out your door, onto a balcony or even just look out a window with a view of a tree.
- Take a breath: Take three deep, slow breaths, filling your lungs completely.
- Soft focus: Let your mind wander. Don't try to think about work. Just gently notice what is around you — the sound of the wind, the texture of the bark, the color of the sky.
That’s it! Just five minutes is all it takes to let nature's restorative influence wash away mental fatigue and bring your focus back online. Try it — you’ll like it!
Nature-Based Therapeutics on-site classes at the Arboretum help you connect with the natural world. Upcoming experiences such as Mindful Birding, Shinrin-yoku (forest bathing), Nature Journaling and a Fall Poetry Walk are unique opportunities to help you discover ways to cultivate your own sense of presence and reflection within the beauty of the Arboretum’s gardens and natural areas.
Cover photo by Lily Smith
Jean Larson, PhD, is the manager of Nature-Based Therapeutic Services at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum and is faculty lead of Nature-Based Therapeutic Studies at the Earl Bakken Center for Spirituality and Healing of the University of Minnesota.