To boost your brain’s creativity, take a hike, according to new research. But consider leaving the electronic gadgets at home.
Backpacking for four days in the wilderness without toting a laptop, iPhone or other high-tech device increased the creative problem-solving skills of people by 50 percent.
The beneficial effects of nature on the mind have been known anecdotally for generations, perhaps most famously noted by author Henry David Thoreau. He spent two years living a rustic life by Walden Pond and published “Walden,” his back-to-nature account, in 1854. Previous research has shown that exposure to nature replenishes basic brain functions like attention span, but little has been known about higher-level thinking properties, such as those involved in solving complex problems. The current study is the first measure of nature’s influence on creative problem-solving, Strayer said.
“There’s some concern that being in a modern urban environment with horns and technology constantly depletes nature’s restorative properties,” Strayer said. His advice: If you’re going to go on a hike, don’t bring your iPhone or cellphone. “Instead, try to focus on being in the environment you’re in.”