Nature doesn’t have to be green to help us unwind
Most of us assume that if you sat someone down in total quiet, with nothing to do and nowhere to be, they would eventually relax. A 2014 study led by psychologist Timothy Wilson at the University of Virginia, published in Science, found something quite different. Participants left alone with their thoughts for as little as six minutes found it so uncomfortable that some chose to give themselves a…
The conventional wisdom is that sitting in total silence with nothing to do and nowhere to go eventually leads to relaxation. However, a 2014 study by psychologist Timothy Wilson at the University of Virginia revealed a surprising finding. Participants who were left alone for just six minutes with their thoughts found the experience so uncomfortable that some resorted to giving themselves a mild electric shock to escape.
This suggests that stillness doesn't come naturally to us; it requires a reason and a space. In the bustling city of Dubai, this raises a pertinent question: how do people connect with nature in a climate this intense and a city moving this fast? Grown here, not imported
Contrary to popular belief, nature does not always have to appear temperate to provide restorative benefits. A 2022 study in the Journal of Environmental Psychology found that 95 desert residents exposed to either a virtual desert, green, or office environment after a stressful experience had lower cortisol and blood pressure than the office group.
The researchers hypothesized that our familiarity with a landscape, regardless of its appearance, may influence our response to nature. This raises an important question in the Gulf region: have we become so accustomed to thinking that restorative nature must be green? The Gulf boasts its own unique ecological language, featuring ghaf and sidr trees, desert grasses, mangroves, seasonal flowers, and the wildlife they support.
These elements, though not offering the instant lushness we associate with "green," invite a different kind of attention. A native plant blooming after months of heat or the bee visiting it, the bird sheltering in it, or the subtle changes each season brings, might go unnoticed but collectively create a living landscape. For those who move to Dubai, their experience with the native plants is often a first introduction to the local ecology, rather than a nostalgic return.
The desert, rather than being a distant memory, can serve as an introduction to the unique ecosystem of the place they now call home.
Written by urgent.news from Gulf News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
