Scenes of Real Nature Reduce Stress more than High-Def Plasma Can

Stress Week installment 2 of 4
If Discovery Channel presents Shark Week for your entertainment each summer, then we at FamilyThinking.com can present "Stress Week" so that you enjoy a stress-free and fun-filled summer.

Technology can help unlock the secrets of DNA but can it substitute for nature? Apparently not, according to a new study that measured individuals’ heart recovery rate from minor stress when exposed to a natural scene through a window, the same scene shown on a high-definition plasma screen, or a blank wall. The research done at the University of Washington, showed that when people spent more time looking at the natural scene their heart rates tended to decrease more.

“Technology is good and it can help our lives, but let’s not be fooled into thinking we can live without nature,” said Peter Kahn, a UW associate professor of psychology who led the research team.

And what the heck is environmental generational amnesia?
Click here to read the entire Newswise release.

Coming attractions for Stress Week:
Post 3: Making Kindergarten Less Stressful (huh?)
Post 4: Stress Gene Found in Infants (we kid you not)