Look at this to soothe away stress!
Brain scans reveal that merely looking at a beautiful object can stimulate your brain in ways that boost your productivity, relieve stress and more! In fact, research shows you can actually:
1 Increase creativity with Water Lilies!
Taking in the undefined Impressionistic brushstrokes in a painting like Monet's Water Lilies forces your brain to work harder to put the whole picture together, instantly revving your problemsolving skills! In fact, in one recent study, folks who gazed at gorgeous Impressionist canvases experienced a 10% increase in blood flow to the brain’s pleasure center—the same region that lights up when you think creatively. l Boost the benefit . . . with a soothing screensaver! To maintain that creativity and productivity surge—and enjoy the soothing effect of looking at nature—set your computer background to an Impressionist landscape, such as Monet’s Impression, Sunrise, free at Wallpapercave.com/
monet-desktop-wallpaper-free.
2 Rev productivity with kittens!
Studies show that simply seeing aw-worthy pictures of baby animals increases focus and concentration. Those precious little ones perk up our caretaking antenna, making our brains pay closer attention. The proof: In one study, workers who spent a few minutes every hour or so cueing up cute snaps of baby animals online saw their productivity increase 44%! l Boost the benefit by . . . scanning across species! Looking beyond puppies and kittens to bear cubs, piglets, ducklings and fawns, for example, prods your brain to pay even more attention by introducing the element of novelty!
3 Get a confidence boost by gazing at the “sublime”!
Scientists have a phrase to describe natural beauty tinged with a bit of spine-tingling scariness: “the sublime,” which includes anything from the rushing flow of a huge waterfall to the soaring peaks of an intimidating mountain. Turns out, surrounding yourself with something big enough to take your breath away unleashes brain waves that elevate your mood and your confidence! l Boost the benefit by . . . capturing the sublime! Snapping a selfie, say, amidst a vast flower garden or in front of a natural wonder, increases your joy probably by making you feel at one with “the sublime” moment!
4 Melt stress with gorgeous greens!
A slew of studies shows that just glancing at shades of green can spur you to be calmer, learn more easily and even recover faster from illnesses! It’s called “forest therapy,” but you can get the benefits indoors, too, with houseplants, which recent Scandinavian research shows help lower blood pressure.
l Boost the benefit with . . . “slimming” green scenes! “Sitting in a green space for 15 minutes is shown to reduce the stress hormones that trigger overeating,” reveals Susan Albers, author of Eat Q: Unlock the Weight Loss Power of Emotional Intelligence.
After checking out at Walmart, I got to my car only to realize my purse was missing!
I rushed back in the store, thinking I’d left it at the checkout counter, but it wasn’t there. I was starting to panic—my license, credit cards and cash were inside my purse. I spoke with the manager, who checked their security cameras. To my surprise, the camera footage showed me leaving with my purse! Just then, another Walmart employee ran over—with my purse in hand! It turns out I’d left it in my shopping cart, and an honest woman had just found it and turned it in. I was flooded with relief when I saw that nothing was missing. The woman didn’t leave her name, so I didn’t get the chance to thank her. But I hope she knows how blessed I felt when she returned my bag!