Thank you for the flowers
What's that good for?!" I asked myself when I recently came across the publication of a Japanese working group: The research team sat students in front of a flower box with rather modest pansies and observed whether the young People feel better as a result. At first, the result seemed even more surprising to me: the test subjects actually found the sight to be pleasant, and it measurably calmed their autonomic nervous system. In our modern society, many people almost only spend time in artificial surroundings, the authors explain The purpose of their research is that it creates stress, with all the known negative he alth consequences.
In East Asia, people have long known about the preventive power of experiencing nature. Doctors in Japan are even leaders in "forest therapy" (see our cover story from p. 12). But that millions of stressed city dwellers regularly make a pilgrimage to the forest? Unrealistic. On the other hand, a few flowers, a few drops of cedar oil, the chirping of birds from the loudspeaker - these can also help to relax. However, the he alth effect of individual natural elements does not come close to that of "forest bathing", explains our author, the Viennese environmental doctor Daniela Haluza. And by the way, plastic pansies failed as a stress killer in the above experiment.
From my office window I look at the green hills of the Odenwald, which according to studies increases my job satisfaction. Nature on your doorstep is wonderful, but very few people have this privilege in the mega-cities. My suggestion: If you can't get all the townspeople into the forest, then we just have to bring the forest into the city. Everyone can contribute to this. Plant green wherever possible, on the garage roof, on the house wall, if necessary in the smallest flower box! After all, it has been scientifically proven: Every pansy makes us a little bit happier.
Your hopes for your blossoming imagination
Katja Gaschler
