The Problem of Information and Stimuli Overloading

Modern day life has left us overloaded with information and stimuli, making the ability to focus extremely difficult. ‘First world problems’, like distractions from cell phones, the internet, and social media, the things keep us connected and bound to the world ‘24-7’, each buzzing with notifications, emails, calls, etc.; and it is this attachment and availability that has even ‘successful’ people ditching their smartphones. Sounds of sirens and horns, even office chatter, is enough to put us on sensory overload. Human’s separation from nature has left a rift in our lives. Our busy and stressful lives have caused a rift, separating us from nature, and historically designing our environments in a manner that “fails to support people’s need and requirements”. People with successful and seemingly ‘perfect lives’ are susceptible to mental fatigue resulting in less competence and a decrease in happiness.

Our limited capacity for direct-attention and a preponderance of information and stimuli at any given moment of the day causes us to suffer more and more from mental fatigue, resulting in a reduction in productivity, stress and even burnout. Leading the way in the field of environmental psychology, Rachel and Steven Kaplan authors of the book With People in Mind wrote, “the natural environment can foster well-being and can enhance people’s ability to function effectively”. This idea of nature and happiness being linked is not a new or radical idea, yet it’s still underplayed in American culture. For example, in the last twenty years many schools have chosen to cut recess out of the day to allow for more time for lessons and standardized tests even though The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) says recess and physical activity are essential “for optimizing a child’s social, emotional, physical, and cognitive development”, and further recommends sixty minutes of “moderate to vigorous activity per day”. And even though some schools are rebuilding with connections to nature in mind, most new building construction lacks windows or have windows that do not open, depriving the children and staff of natural sunlight or fresh air and a breeze. While some schools are rebuilding with this connection in mind many are still building classrooms without any windows entirely.

To experience restoration from nature a landscape does not necessarily need to be ‘wild’ or ‘untamed’. There are many different ‘natural’ settings (ie. a place with an abundance of vegetation) that can be beneficial to one’s health and well-being such as parks, backyards, gardens, fields, etc. Restoration and relaxation from access to a natural environment are unparalleled, however, these benefits are greatly amplified when introducing a water element. Completely untamed wilderness is not necessary to achieve these benefits. Urban spaces, even small ones, can be designed in such a way that maximizes on the ways restoration can be achieved. According to the Kaplan’s theory of Attention Restoration Theory (ART), there are four elements an environment must have in order for it to provide restorative benefits; extent, ‘being away’, soft fascination and compatibility.