Nature and Wellbeing in the Digital Age

Nature and Wellbeing in the Digital Age

Can technology and nature go hand in hand, can we use technology to embrace nature? If so, how? Technobiophilia is a new term coined by writer and researcher Sue Thomas. We speak with her about her book of the same name and also about Nature, Wellbeing in the Digital Age. Quotidian use of our device interaction throws up the most surprising benefits it seems, who would have thought that Grand Theft Auto or FarmVille would give us a potential escape route after work into nature, or how nature found its way into our metaphorical library to be an unspoken lexicon for cyberspace terminology.

Biophilia - A Handbook for bringing the Natural World into your Life

Biophilia - A Handbook for bringing the Natural World into your Life

Sally Coulthard, designer and best selling author writes a great column for Country Living “Good Life in the Country.” Her recent book “Biophilia" - You, Nature, Home” is a ‘Handbook for bringing the natural world into your life’ and is one of the most beautifully crafted books I’ve read for years. It feels like you are holding nature in your hands. I was thrilled to interview her and get her take on Biophilia, why it’s important today, why cities and buildings should be weaving biophilic elements into their interior designs and urban planning. We chat about the interconnectedness of nature and our lives, how biophilia embraces many aspects and has many benefits not only from an aesthetic point of view but also environmental and on a more profound level as it reduces negative issues such as stress and improves positive aspects like helping sleep, air quality, nervous systems. The science is overwhelming.

The Conscious Nature Connector

The Conscious Nature Connector

If you are feeling overwhelmed at the thought of going back to work, or which way to turn now, you could well benefit from taking a leaf (excuse the pun) from nature’s book. Deborah Mendes, helps overwhelmed CEOs and business owners del with change and reconnect to their true and powerful selves through connecting with nature. The term biophilia highlights our connection with nature, so I was intrigued to learn more about how Deborah works. From the study of an intricate pine cone to just standing still and feeling strong within ourselves, grounding ourselves, rooting ourselves and expanding outwards, and growing can enable us to adapt, slow down, make atomic changes to help ourselves and those around us have better more productive, peaceful and happy lives.

Why Biophilic Design should be essential in Healthcare

Why Biophilic Design should be essential in Healthcare

Maggie’s Cancer Care Centres have embraced and celebrated biophilic design not only in their interiors but also in the fabric of the architecture, the landscapes and views of nature, plants and trees within and without their buildings. And it is making a phenomenal difference. As the seasons change, so the views change. “Nature is Joyful, and it helps us feel joyful and when we feel joyful we can handle so much more of what life throws at us.” Maggie’s is visionary, it’s mould-breaking and is important evidence that biophilic design is ESSENTIAL in healthcare….

Forest Therapy

Forest Therapy

When was the last time you took a walk in the forest? We all recognise the positive power that being in nature has on our wellbeing and mindset, and some of us also are familiar with the Japanese ‘art’ of Shinrin Yoku, or Forest Bathing. What you might not have known is that there are “NHS Forest” hospitals. In this podcast we discuss whether there is a need for a nature-based health strategy to be…

How a NASA Study led to "Forest Air"

How a NASA Study led to "Forest Air"

In 1986 NASA was researching the ability of plants to absorb harmful gases. Their research had a huge impact on author and precision mechanic Jørn Viumdal who went on to set up Greentime AS. He contacted NASA and they began to develop the space stations of the future and researched how they could use nature to improve the air quality on board the space stations…

Unblocking Creativity and aiding Healing in Times of Change - Nature, Retreats and a Haven in London

Unblocking Creativity and aiding Healing in Times of Change - Nature, Retreats and a Haven in London

Sharing a space in silence can be uplifting, revelatory and inspiring, sharing a space in nature can be an even more powerful experience. Allowing your brain to think in different ways by taking time away by being in a different space unblocks creativity, it can help you shape a different way of thinking, a different ways of being. This is important in times of change, career change and stress. Doing this surrounded by nature compounds the effe..

Moodsonic - breaking the silence

Moodsonic - breaking the silence

We work so hard to make our working, home and leisure environments acoustically better that we may be overlooking an essential aspect, our need for “sound”, our need especially for the “sound of nature”. Back in the office many of us work in cacophony or we are discovering during this “lockdown” that we live in homes where the TV is too loud, our hospitals are often crazy busy noisy environments, everywhere designers are struggling to clean these spaces of aggressive and distracting audio disturbance, but once we do that, how do we know that these spaces provide us with the optimum environments for focus, creativity and wellbeing?

When Sustainability, Nature and Business Meet

When Sustainability, Nature and Business Meet

With no permanent office space, Transaction Focus has been adopting principles of nature on many different levels to sustain and grow profitable companies. We speak with Charles to find out how we can mimic the change, flexibility and eco-systems of nature into our own businesses which will work for SMEs as well as multi-nationals not just in terms of green visuals but with biomimetic conceptualisation how we can apply nature’s structure onto our own business principles…

Nature's Tonic

Nature's Tonic

Research has shown that contact with nature has a psycho-therapeutic effect. It also has been proven that being surrounded by nature, with all the multi-sensory effects it has on us, increases our immunity, improves resilience and improves our mood. In fact being in a calm environment allows part of our brain to rest. Mindfulness is a way of being present without judgment and research has shown that brainwaves change when people practice this too.