Everyday Neuro 018 Part 1: Nature and the brain - How our living environment can enhance mental and physical health

Introduction to Podcast

0:00Hello and welcome to the Everyday Neuro podcast. I'm your host, Dr. Janine Cooper, and I'm aiming to provide you with the knowledge and the inspiration to understand the fascinating world of the human brain. So this is the first podcast that I have written and presented in a very long time, two and a half years to be exact. And for those of you who have been listening

0:34to this podcast for some time, welcome back. And to those of you who are new to it, a really big hello. Most importantly, thanks to you all for joining me once again. And I'm not sure how the last few years have been for you, but I do hope you and your families are well and that you've been able to stay safe. For me, it's been a time of great loss. I've had to find resilience. And it's also been a time where I've really had to dig deep and rebuild. One of the constants throughout this

1:06time and where I found great solace and strength has been to be around nature, whether it be on walks through trees and fields, or sharing my time with plants in my home or in the garden. And it's thanks to being around the living environment that I realized that we can gain so much great strength and wellness through interacting with nature. It's actually led me to learn a lot more about how I interact with my personal space. And it's led me to look at our shared environment and how being around

1:41living things can really change our physiology and importantly, can create equilibrium or balance in our brain chemistry. And for those of you who've been listening to this podcast series, you'll know that when the brain is working in a balanced way, it's also found to be much more productive.

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Natural Environment Impact

2:36So this episode that has two parts is dedicated to investigating the power of the natural environment on our mental and physical health and well-being. I'd like to start the episode by asking you the question, have you been around nature lately? Please take a few moments to think about this. Do you have houseplants? Perhaps you have a garden or a veggie patch, or you go to a park that you like to visit, and maybe you do a favourite walk.

3:08If the answer is yes to the question, have you been around nature lately, then we will talk about the amazing way nature can alter our physiology and mental health later in this episode. If the answer is no, then what in your environment makes you feel good, feel calm, perhaps feel energised? Have you a favourite room or space, building, or even an area that you like to go to? For so many of us, the environment around us can alter our mood,

3:39even our thoughts and our well-being. Thinking about our environment brings us to explore our first topic, which is quite a fancy-sounding one at that, called biophilic design. So when I was researching the effects of the living environment on our well-being, I came across biophilic design, which is apparently an approach to architecture that seeks to connect building occupants more closely to nature. And it's an area that I've actually become deeply fascinated in.

4:12As I'm not an expert in this area, I have asked someone to join me today who has much more knowledge and makes it a part of her work practice. I'm delighted to introduce Tara Cantwell of Cantwell Interiors to the Everyday Neuro podcast. Hello and welcome, Tara. Hello, Janine. Thank you so much for having me. It's really great to be here. So, Tara, what does bringing nature into a space do for a person? It's really powerful for our well-being, Janine.

4:43And there are actually a couple of theories that might explain why that might be the case for us. So you've mentioned biophilic design, or biophilia, which is one theory. And this comes from biologist Edward Wilson, who describes it as an innate and genetically determined affinity with our natural world. So we innately seek connections with nature and other forms of life with this theory. And, you know, you've mentioned the benefits from being outside in nature, but I want to focus on how we can bring it inside for similar effects.

5:13And if one UK study suggests we spend up to 90% of our lives inside, then we can't rely on being outside all the time for the great effects. So, you know, I'm talking about effects like if you have a view of indoor plants, that can increase your reported happiness by up to 78%. That same view of indoor plants can increase our reported positive health outcomes by 65% and even improve our energy by up to 76%. So that just blows my mind.

5:43And what an easy way to get an energy boost. There's also another theory called prospect and refuge theory, which describes our sense of security in a space where we can view our world, so prospect, while also having a place to hide or seek refuge. So I imagine it like we're like a tribe trying to find a safe space to rest, but while also keeping a lookout for marauding tigers. And this will influence our decisions around windows that allow for a beautiful view, plenty of natural light,

6:14but also curtains for that feeling of safety when we need it. Maybe also noisy appliances that make us feel unsettled. I mean, my bedroom fan needs replacing. It works fine. It's perfect, except that it's really noisy. And sometimes I worry that I can't hear danger at night over the fan, you know, those marauding tigers, and it actually impacts my sleep. Yeah, me too. I also feel that way about fans, Tara, completely. So that is quite a high percentage of our time that we're spending indoors. And I know that many of us really do want to, you know,

6:47personalise our space and make it feel safe and make it feel our own, but we really don't know where to start. So could you help us? Can you tell us how interior designers, such as yourself at Cantwell Interiors, how can you help us? Yeah, sure, Janine. So all interior designers will make sure they spend time with you to get a good feel for what you want. And we can help with most things inside your home, like large or small. And small-scale support might be helping you choose paint colours

7:17for a stylish finish, but something that can also influence your energy. Or perhaps it's co-designing a pre-teens bedroom with them to improve their overall mood. And I mean, any help would be good there. Mid-range support might be like planning a kitchen renovation to improve your connection with your family. Or perhaps reimagining your bedroom as a haven for luxurious sleep. And the large-scale stuff would be supporting, we can do support with new home builds or complex renovations, especially where you want to get the health

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8:27Okay, so making changes in your interiors isn't actually a luxury, but rather a way of promoting wellbeing for you and others in your life? Yeah, absolutely. I mean, the right design in a bedroom can improve the quality of your sleep. And that's the colours, the style, maybe even the layout. The right kitchen or lounge layout can improve connections with your family and friends. As we've talked about with our window coverings, that can improve your psychological sense of safety. And, you know, if you're not sure,

8:58you can always call Cantwell Interiors or other interior designers for a quick chat because there's many easy wins that you can look at before you start knocking down walls. Oh, well, that is good news. So, Tara, with that in mind, how can we enhance our wellbeing without actually making those big structural changes to our home and also to our workplaces? Yeah. Well, this is where most of us are at right now, isn't it, Janine? We want to make the most of what we've got rather than doing anything extraordinarily big. So, my first advice would be to get as many indoor plants inside

9:30as you feel comfortable with. I mean, they clean the air, they produce oxygen, they look amazing, and they give us those wellbeing benefits we've talked about. I would also recommend getting as much natural light in during the day as you can. I mean, that might be shifting your furniture around so they're not blocking your windows. And maybe thinking about your window coverings in that space that allow for as much light during the day, but you can cover them to make you feel safe at night. Within that mix is also a view of nature that's been shown to have powerful benefits for us as well.

10:03So, again, maximise your space to get a view of nature if you can. Move a couch around so that you can see out a window as well as the TV. But if you can't do that, you can use art that reminds you of nature. A great painting or a photo or even a drawing that your kids have done. You could open windows to hear nature and get the fresh air. I like the smell of nature as well. I like the smell of citrus. I like rosemary, you know, whatever takes your fancy in that area.

10:35Natural fabrics like linen and wool will, you know, influence that wellbeing sense as well. Timber products, stone, ceramics, because what we want to do is trigger that connection with nature, that biophilic feeling. Colours can influence things as well. So, we aim to use colours in a similar way that nature uses the colours. So, perhaps ocean blues and greens might make bathrooms and laundries feel good. Darker colours in your bedroom might feel really cosy and welcoming for you.

11:06And using darker colours at floor level and then increasingly lighter as you move up will replicate how nature often does things. Pops of red in your kitchen will give bursts of energy, perhaps like a freshly picked raspberry. So, colour is a natural analogue to nature. So, for example, it references nature without actually being the real thing. And the last one would be to reduce clutter. Clutter makes us feel unsettled, unproductive and worried. So, that's it. Janine, there's quite a few things we can tackle immediately to get that hit of wellbeing.

11:40Oh, incredible, Tara. Absolutely amazing. So much information for us to use to be able to improve or certainly enhance our wellbeing. So, thank you so much. It's been an absolute pleasure to have you here on the Everyday Neuro podcast. But one last question before you go. Where did you last take a walk and what did you enjoy most about it? I love this question. I have a favourite walk in Alinda Forest in the Dandenongs, which allows me to really lose myself in the canopy, in the tree canopy there.

12:12I find I make really great decisions in that forest and I always feel calmer and wiser after being there. Well, thanks for having me, Janine. I've loved being here and I can't wait to chat more about it with you sometime. That was the wonderful Tara Cantwell from Cantwell Interiors and her details can be found on the Everyday Neuro website.

Episode Conclusion and Preview

12:33So, in the first part of this episode, we really looked at how nature coming into our living spaces can just make such a difference to our wellbeing. In the second part of this episode, we will be looking at the benefits of walking in nature and I'll be sharing with you some really exciting new research that tells us how we can reduce the activity of the amygdala, that part of the brain that deals with stress. So, I'd really love to share that with you. But to do so, you have to be a member of the Everyday Neuro Patreon site.

13:09If you're not sure what that is, well, check out the website and you'll find more information and a link there. But basically, for those of you who are already familiar with Patreon, you can find me now on this wonderful site and you can become a member. By doing this, you can have exclusive and also early access to Everyday Neuro podcast episodes. So, it's farewell from me for this part of the episode and please look after your amazing brain. And until next time, take care.

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