I was reminded of the importance of our environment while reading a recent post by Peter Bregman, a blogger at Harvard Business Publishing, called “The Easiest Way to Change People’s Behaviour.” Using personal stories, Bregman points out that human behaviour has more to do with our relationship to the environment around us than nearly anything else. “So don’t fight yourself to change your behaviour in the midst of the wrong environment; just change the environment. In the case of food, using a salad plate instead of a dinner plate might be all the diet you need.”

Most of us are familiar with strategies like using a smaller plate or putting treats “out of sight out of mind,” but it seems that our environment also affects us on a deeper level. Rachel Kaplan and husband Stephen Kaplan are psychologists and researchers in a new field called “restorative environments.” In an APA Monitor on Psychology article called “Green is Good for You,” author Rebecca A. Clay writes that the Kaplans and other psychologists “are exploring nature’s impact on people’s mental functioning, social relationships and even physical well-being.” Rachel Kaplan’s research revealed that workers with a view of nature felt more positive about their work and experienced better health and greater satisfaction with life.

Clay also describes Roger S. Ulrich’s research at the Center for Health Systems and Design at Texas A&M University where he found that “patients whose hospital rooms overlooked trees had an easier time recovering than those whose rooms overlooked brick walls. Patients able to see nature got out of the hospital faster, had fewer complications and required less pain medication than those forced to stare at a wall.” Research he conducted in Sweden found that heart surgery patients could reduce their anxiety and need for pain medication by looking at images of trees and water.

So where do we start? Look around and become aware of environments that make you feel positive or relaxed. If you are unable to change daily taxing environments, can you refuel during breaks or by regularly visiting more calming surroundings? Try pictures of scenes that help you relive more zen moments. Let me know what works for you.