Amy G Dala.
What? Oh, sorry, that's right... awkward cough ...we mean:
Amygdala.
Yes. It's part of your brain. No, it has nothing to do with anyone called Amy. Unless your name is Amy...in which case - Amy, it's part of your brain.
More accurately, it's an almond-shaped structure that's part of your limbic system and it plays a primary role in emotional responses such as fear, anxiety and aggression (aka "stress").
So, why are we going all Dougie Howser on you on a Thursday morning?
Because increasingly, more and more of us are putting our amygdalas under strain. We burn the candle at both ends, battling a deluge of competing deadlines at work and stacking our social calendar with catch-ups and after-work drinks in a hair-brained attempt to ‘let off-steam’. The more you pile on your plate, the more your Amygdala tingles*. You know it’s not sustainable, but you push through regardless. Until eventually, your poor ol Amyg packing her bags and leaving a note that says “Dear Brian, it’s not me…it’s you” The solution could actually be much simpler... A recent scientific study (Sudimac, Sale & Kuhn, Sep 2022), showed that, when stressed, if you go for a walk in an urban environment your Amygdala activation will remain stable. Buuut, if you go for a walk in a natural environment, your Amygdala activation will actually decrease.
“Ok… what does that mean? Should we all collectively quit our jobs to spend our days barefoot in the forest, living like monks?”
Honestly, that sounds pretty good to us…
But in the interim, it means next time you find yourself stressed about a deadline, go find some nature, and go for a walk in it. As the study says "it may act as a preventative measure against mental strain". And, it could make you feel less stressed before going back to your desk 🌳
*We cannot confirm if Amygdalas do in fact tingle
Keen to de-stress, or tell us how wrong we were on Amygdalas? Click here and enter the draw for a two night nature escape.
For all of our STONZ x Unyoked legends we have the code STONZ-UNY that offers a juicy discount too."
Image credit: sophlaiuk