BOOST YOUR VISTA VISION

‘In today’s modern world, it’s no surprise to hear that most of us spend our days focused on a screen,’ says Streets. ‘We’ve become quite accustomed to it, but it’s actually very stressful for our bodies, particularly our eyes. A really simple thing we can do to combat the effects of this is to go for a walk. By all means, take your phone for emergencies, but try to leave it in your bag or pocket, and focus instead on what’s ahead of you. Lift your gaze towards the treetops and beyond – over the rolling hills, across the fields, past the clouds or over the rooftops – whatever’s in front of you, look ahead as far as you can. This sort of gazing into the distance will boost what’s known as your vista vision and is incredibly restful and restorative for your eyes and mind. This will also automatically reduce the amount of cortisol – the stress hormone – flowing around your body, allowing tension to simply melt away.

‘Another reason we enjoy walking in hills and mountains and other places where there are good views is due to something innate and evolutionary from our early existence. It’s a type of safety feature – when we can see out for miles, we can see there are no predators or enemies, meaning we feel instinctively safer and more at ease.’