I often find myself gravitating towards nature as a way to reflect on my mind, to ground my body. I take a walk in the botanical gardens, not far from where I live. I sit on the rocks and look down in the stream.
I listen as the water pushes onward. I notice that I am going upstream, the tide of life taking me continuously forward in the same direction.
“The theory that has good support that explains how spending time in nature can particularly benefit students is called the attention restoration theory. The idea is fairly simple on the surface – spending time in a natural environment restores your ability to concentrate,” said Mark Harvey, chair and professor of psychology at UNC Asheville.
As I look down this path, I realize I am getting older and wiser with it. The stream allows me to follow a journey of endless surprises and memories.
The stream works in a way where without realizing it, it shapes me into who I am. I allow myself to reflect, to understand the emotions I get stepping away from everyday life.
“The observable elements in the environment are naturally interesting or fascinating to people, and the kind of tension you need to observe those elements is not the kind of active attention you use when you study,” said Harvey.
I feel a sense of gratitude to have the abilities to be so close to nature and to feel the benefits seeping through me. To feel the ways I connect to nature.
To witness the wildlife, the change in seasons and the blooms that begin to happen. I treasure it deeply.
“Hearing the birds, feeling the breeze, seeing the leaves sway in the wind. It is effortless, so that effortlessness can kind of help reset the brain,” said Harvey.
Jayden Doria, a student at UNCA, finds the botanical gardens to be calming and rejuvenating.
“I always feel better after getting some sun and being surrounded by nature,” said Dora.
Walking along the trail I see the tree that has been toppled for over a year now. I get flashbacks to when my friends were having a picnic under the tree’s shade, admiring the strong standing beauty. Her roots are shown to represent her unexpected ending.
I close my eyes against a rock warmed by the sun, my skin melting into the solid figure beneath me.
“Just watch the thoughts come and go,” said Harvey. “I think it is a huge benefit for any college student because you can get so caught up in always marching through your list of to dos.”
To be able to go to a place so nearby that surrounds me in a globe of trees, a stream, wildlife you usually would not usually see is rare. I love to be able to have the abilities to enter a space that provides me with so much comfort, reflection and relaxation.
“I can get my steps in by walking the loop several times and there’s nice places by the stream to sit, relax and get away from the stress of school and life. Sometimes when I feel restless or am on the phone it’s somewhere I can escape too,” said Doria.
