Nature and the Working Mind

You've probably noticed it. After a few weeks of beaches, bush walks, or just more time outside, your mind feels different. Clearer. Less cluttered.

That's not just a feeling—it's what your brain actually does when it gets regular contact with nature.

Why nature restores attention

Marc Berman's research in environmental neuroscience helps explain what's happening. The kind of focus we use at work—concentrating, ignoring distractions, making decisions—is effortful. It runs down like a battery.

Natural environments restore it. Watching waves, listening to kōkako, observing leaves in the wind—these gently capture attention without demanding effort. Your brain's focus system gets to rest. Berman calls this "soft fascination," and it sits at the heart of Attention Restoration Theory.

The result? Better working memory, sharper focus, lower stress. And you don't need a week in the wilderness—regular short doses work.

What summer gives us

For many of us in Aotearoa, summer means more daylight, time at the beach, or afternoons in the garden. Even casual, unplanned exposure to nature acts as recovery for the brain.

Think of it as letting a tightly clenched fist relax.

When people return to work without maintaining this, the fatigue returns quickly. The goal isn't to hold onto holiday mode—it's to keep some of what worked.

The zoom-out effect

There's another piece. Positive psychology research shows that awe—what we feel when we encounter something vast like an ocean, a mountain, or a star-filled sky—has a powerful effect on the mind.

Awe reduces excessive self-focus. It increases perspective. Everyday stressors feel smaller and more manageable.

Aotearoa's landscapes are particularly rich in this. Brief moments of awe during summer can support emotional regulation long after the holiday ends.

Te ao Māori and connection to place

Te ao Māori offers a deeply relational understanding of this. Humans are not separate from nature but connected through whakapapa. Te taiao is part of identity, not merely a resource.

Mauri refers to life force, and mauri ora reflects wellbeing that emerges when people and environment are in balance. Kaitiakitanga emphasises guardianship—responsibility toward the natural world.

One South Island iwi described planting harakeke as restoring whenua (land), tinana (body), and wairua (spirit)—wairua because when the plant fruited, native birds would return to sing.

These perspectives align strongly with contemporary neuroscience. Caring for nature supports human wellbeing. They're not separate.

What you can do

Connecting with nature doesn't require major changes. Small, regular practices are more sustainable than grand gestures.

For restoring focus: Take a 20-minute walk in a green space during the workday. Choose routes with trees or water. If outdoor access is limited, bring plants inside or use sounds of nature as background.

For settling stress: Step outside during transitions between tasks. Create a weekly ritual—a beach visit, a park walk. Use natural imagery to settle your mind in the evening.

For perspective: Practice noticing vast or beautiful natural details. Engage in small acts of kaitiakitanga—caring for your local environment, even briefly.

Returning with intention

When work feels busiest is often when nature breaks are most needed.

We brush our teeth twice a day for dental health without thinking twice about it. Regular contact with nature works the same way—small, preventative, and powerful.

Te taiao is a proven, often free resource that supports better thinking, emotional regulation, and sustainable performance. The science confirms what many have always known: connection to the natural world isn't optional for wellbeing. It's foundational.

Want to know more about connecting mind, body, and environment? Contact us at contact@3bigthings.co.nz