The Hidden Source of Stress and a Simple Way to Unwind
Have you ever noticed how different you feel in contrasting surroundings – like walking along a busy street compared to strolling in a park?
Recently I walked through a little strip of woods next to a busy street and was struck by the profound difference in how I felt.
Walking along the busy street, I felt jangled. When I stepped into the woods, only a few feet away, I felt completely different.
The wooded area was no more than 20 feet wide – yet the feeling in the woods was calming. It was still and peaceful, the ambient noises dampened.
I felt transformed
My senses sharpened, well-being expanded.
I also felt a sense of belonging, of being part of my surroundings.
All in contrast to the scattered thoughts and feelings that had been flowing through me while walking down the busy street.
We don’t always notice our state of being.
In fact, we are mostly “in” it, rather than observing it. However, when we step into a place of awareness of our state of mind, we can discern how we are impacted by what’s around us.
The effect our surroundings have on us is called entrainment.
Entrainment is defined as an interaction between different, independent rhythmical processes.
These rhythms influence each other.
The dominant rhythm can superimpose over a weaker rhythm.
We entrain to the stimulation in our surroundings.
When we pick up chaotic signals, we register “danger” and this causes us to feel stressed.
A busy street is full of chaotic stimulation: honking car horns, flashing lights, bright colors, and other people walking briskly by.
Studies have shown that our hearts beat faster and our breathing rate increases in such contexts. Our brainwaves speed up. Background traffic noise, even if it is barely discernible, can be interpreted by our bodies as threatening, causing the release of stress hormones.
We also entrain to each other.
Walk into a party where people are smiling and laughing and your mood will feel more buoyant.
In contrast, notice how you feel when someone you interact with is in a bad mood and how easy it is to pick up that mood.
Other people’s emotions are contagious.
All of this can happen below the threshold of awareness.
We may not notice the impact this has on our experience, as we get acclimatized to what seems “normal.”
Within our bodies, cells entrain with each other.
All cells are expressing rhythms of energy that can be measured.
For example, an EEG machine measures the electrical patterns of the brain; an ECG measures the heart.
Health and well-being require that we slow down, relax, and cultivate a sense of peacefulness.
Our bodies are not designed to experience constant high pace stimulation or chaotic noise.
A powerful way to entrain what our minds and bodies need is to get out in nature.
A simple walk in a park allows the body to entrain in the peaceful rhythms of nature.
The benefits can be heightened by attending to our surroundings.
Heart rate, circulation, breathing, and brainwaves all coordinate to the same rhythm. So when we are noticing, say, the gentle motion of a breeze over grasses, water flowing, clouds shifting and moving, our whole body slows down with that awareness.
This is one of the reasons we feel so much better when we spend time in nature.
So, take a walk in a park and attend to the slower, peaceful rhythm and its effect on you.
If a park isn’t available, find another way to encounter nature – even one tree can have a positive effect if you focus your attention there.