More Research/Exemplars

"A growing segment of the market is ready for more urban environments, but for young urbanites to remain committed to city living and more walkable suburban environments as their life circumstances evolve, they will need higher quality urban places than we have offered in the recent past; and they will need relief from the sometimes harshness that unmitigated density can bring. It is the urban commons – the parks, plazas, streets, greenery and public facilities we share or in which we have a collective interest – that have the greatest potential to provide these things."

"There is no better place to start than with our streets, our most plentiful and visible parts of the urban commons. And I would offer as a first principle that a street is not just a "street"; a road is not just a "road." We have come to think of streets and roads as conduits, particularly for motorized vehicles: viaducts for getting us from point A to point B as efficiently as possible. Anything that slows us along the way is viewed as a detriment."

"There are probably some roadways (inter-city freeways, perhaps; but not city streets, I would argue) for which vehicle travel efficiency is still a supreme goal. But that objective should not be allowed to define all streets, particularly in urban and suburban areas."

"But, when I say that a street is not just a "street,” I mean that it is not just a surface for motorized travel. It is also the sidewalk, the curb, the trees and “street furniture” that line it; the facings of the shops, homes, and other buildings and uses along the way."

http://www.citylab.com/design/2013/07/streets-can-be-public-spaces-too/6235/


"Smart bins - Did you think a bin was just for throwing stuff away in? Wrong. In London's Square Mile there are already more than 100 “smart bins”. As well as being a receptacle for recycling, they feature digital screens broadcasting a live channel of breaking headline news and live traffic information. They can also communicate directly with mobile devices through Wi-Fi and Bluetooth technology. And they're bombproof. The jury's out on whether it's a temporary gimmick or here to stay, but one thing it proves is that “mixed use” isn't a concept restricted to buildings. Even the most humble objects of urban infrastructure will need to do more than one job in the smart city."

https://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/gallery/cities-get-smart-urban-innovation-pictures

Culver City, California commissioned artist Joshua Callaghan to make nine utility boxes seem as if they weren’t really there by printing vinyl images on the boxes of what each one is obstructing.

Volkswagen and the Fun Theory teamed up in Stockholm to encourage people to be a little more active. They installed a piano staircase that plays notes beside an escalator to demonstrate how making something more fun can change behaviour.

https://www.brit.co/street-art/

Canadian architect Jean Verville’s latest installation, DANCE FLOOR, encourages people to dance their way into Montreal’s Museum of Fine Arts.

http://www.contemporist.com/2016/07/18/this-art-installation-encourages-people-to-dance-in-the-street/


"A team of creative design students have finally installed their brilliant invention, which went viral in 2012 – a crosswalk button that will allow strangers to play pong with one another while they wait for the light to change. Amelie Künzler and Sandro Engel, two interactive design students at HAWK university, had it installed in the German city of Hildesheim just a couple of weeks ago with the help of a team of tech developers."

“The idea came while waiting for the light to turn green. Sandro always needed to wait a traffic light in front of our Campus and one day thought ‘this could be more fun’ and so he developed the concept."

http://www.boredpanda.com/cross-walk-pong-game-streetpong-actiwait-germany/

W2S2 Class

Hand-in Deadlines and Requirements

Tuesday Week 5 Hand-in

1. A persuasive presentation that brings your identified issue to life, 2 minute class presentation, slideshow/pdf 
2. An informative document that supports and illustrates your findings and concept, 1000 words + 6 page minimum, printed, any paper size 

Week 12 Hand-in

1. 2 min presentation to class
2. Informative Dossier that supports presentation (may also include artefacts)

Audience

21-45 year olds
Professional/Working people
Trying to effect them on a work day not a day off


Where We Can Effect People Getting From 'A' To 'B' Brainstorm

Phones, on buses exteriors, in sitting areas/parks, traffic lights, billboards, footpaths/sidewalks, on the walls of buildings, shoes, on the waterfront, in the air/sounds, pedestrian crossings


Journey Map

Insights Gained From Journey Map

There are interactions between people at pedestrian crossings
Native birds in cities would be nicer than pigeons (Native birdsong when you press the traffic light button etc)
When you are waiting at the traffic lights you are not doing anything (Red man at lights could dance etc)

Exemplar Social/Civic Design Projects

Wayfindr – Independent Travel For Blind People

"There are an estimated 285 million vision impaired people worldwide. Sadly, the consequences of sight loss are often poverty, isolation and depression. Of the estimated two million people living with sight loss in the UK, almost half say they would like to leave their home more often.

Overcoming these challenges starts with enabling independent travel, which catalyses both individual and societal change.

What if vision impaired people were empowered to navigate independently using the smart phone they already have in their pocket?

With limited or no vision, navigating an unfamiliar environment means you are wholly reliant on auditory cues or a sighted guide for directions. Emerging technologies such as smartphones and Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) Beacons point to a future of independent navigation for blind people. There is a pressing need to develop a consistent standard to be implemented across wayfinding systems. This will open up a world where vision impaired people are no longer held back by their sight loss.

Wayfindr is the first open standard for audio-based navigation.

Built into the Wayfindr standard is a determination to create social, economic and personal value for users. During our trials we have seen an increase in the confidence of our participants. Every time a vision impaired person independently reaches their desired destination using Wayfindr it changes their perceptions of their own abilities."

http://awards.ixda.org/entry/2016/wayfindr-independent-travel-for-blind-people/


21 Balancoires (21 Swings)

"21 Balancoires (21 Swings) is an urban scale collective instrument, a game where together we achieve better things than separately. The installation consists of a series of 21 musical swings. When in motion, each swing triggers different notes. When used all together, the swings compose a musical piece in which certain melodies emerge only through cooperation. It’s a game where, from the start, you need to adjust to the actions of others.

The notes that are played are determined by how high a person swings. The color of the swing indicates the instrument it plays: piano, harp, guitar, vibraphone. The instruments are distributed differently within each set of three swings to create different musical configurations.

When multiple swings move in synchronicity, a mini scale is played, revealing more notes and melodies. When all swings are in use, a secret musical mode is activated to give a special reward to players a synthesizer sound plays on all swings and transforms the experience.

The result is a giant collective instrument that stimulates ownership of the space, bringing together people of all ages and backgrounds, and creating a place for playing and exchanging in the middle of the city centre."

"The swings were quickly adopted by Montrealers and transformed a transit space into a public place. This instinctive way of creating music using one’s entire body stimulates people to play, to experiment and leads people to become aware of each other’s experience, to converse and exchange.

• Old people, young people, couples, punks, skateboarders all played on the swings.
• Families from all over the city took over a set of swings for a long time, sometimes having a picnic.
• Strangers engaged in conversation around the swings.
• Passing drivers stopped and got out to see the swings.

Everyone who passed stopped and smiled for at least a moment."

"The swings interface was chosen because people are naturally attracted to them and immediately know what to do. Swings create a sense of nostalgia, throwing people back to their childhood."

http://awards.ixda.org/entry/2013/21-balancoires/


The Lowdown

http://bestawards.co.nz/entries/public-good/the-lowdown/


Ward+Robes - Redesigned Hospital Gowns

"These designers are letting young patients throw a bit of style into their hospital stay."

"Nobody likes wearing hospital gowns, but for most of us it’s a pretty temporary arrangement. For some unlucky kids however, hospital gowns are a permanent fixture in their wardrobe, but thanks to a project called Ward+Robes, boring and ugly hospital clothes might soon be a thing of the past.

Several fashion designers have teamed up with a nonprofit organization called Starlight Children’s Foundation Canada to redesign hospital gowns in order to give sick kids 'a chance to be themselves'. 'Wearing a hospital gown is like being in a hospital,' explains one girl in the video below. 'There’s nothing good about it.' Another young patient reveals that 'It sort of makes me feel like my identify’s been stripped away from me.'"

https://www.facebook.com/HuffingtonPost/videos/10154091988031130/

http://www.boredpanda.com/fashionable-hospital-gowns-starlight-children-foundation-canada/?


The High Line

"Parks in large cities are usually thought of as refuges, as islands of green amid seas of concrete and steel. When you approach the High Line in the Chelsea neighbourhood on the lower west side of Manhattan, what you see first is the kind of thing urban parks were created to get away from—a harsh, heavy, black steel structure supporting an elevated rail line that once brought freight cars right into factories and warehouses and that looks, at least from a distance, more like an abandoned relic than an urban oasis."

"Never have public officials been so wrong. Almost a decade after the Giuliani administration tried to tear the High Line down, it has been turned into one of the most innovative and inviting public spaces in New York City and perhaps the entire country. The black steel columns that once supported abandoned train tracks now hold up an elevated park—part promenade, part town square, part botanical garden. The southern third, which begins at Gansevoort Street and extends to West 20th Street, crossing Tenth Avenue along the way, opened in the summer of 2009. This spring a second section will open, extending the park ten more blocks, roughly a half mile, to 30th Street. Eventually, supporters hope, the park will cover the rest of the High Line."

"Walking on the High Line is unlike any other experience in New York. You float about 25 feet above the ground, at once connected to street life and far away from it. You can sit surrounded by carefully tended plantings and take in the sun and the Hudson River views, or you can walk the line as it slices between old buildings and past striking new ones. I have walked the High Line dozens of times, and its vantage point, different from that of any street, sidewalk, or park, never ceases to surprise and delight. Not the least of the remarkable things about the High Line is the way, without streets to cross or traffic lights to wait for, ten blocks pass as quickly as two."

http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2011/04/ny-high-line/goldberger-text

http://www.thehighline.org
http://www.timeout.com/newyork/parks/highline
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_Line_(New_York_City)

More Journey Maps

We did individual journey maps in order to further define our target audience. 

Tom, Mechanic

Going to the hardware store to grab a new tool

Leaves mechanics workshop - mentally preparing the route in his head, has the end goal in mind, focussed

Walks to the hardware store - striding purposefully, dodging people who are slower than him, brisk pace, dodges between cars stopped at the lights

Walks back - long strides, checking the time every few minutes, jaywalks to cut time

Cindy, Countdown service desk

Taking a lunch break

Leaves work - Slowly checks phone as she leaves, with bag of food from Countdown in hand, no aim of where to be

Walks along the pavement - slowly, looking around at the shops, people weaving around her

Window shops - stopping sporadically to look at clothes and items in the windows, wanders in and out of a few shops

Sits in the park to eat lunch - Finds a close park, sits down to eat. People watches, texts friends on phone, sits in the sunshine

Returns to work quickly, a little late because of her daydreaming

Empathy & Journey Maps

We feel that at this stage, when we haven't focused on an area of city stress yet, these two Map tasks don't really help us as they require us to be too specific. They do help reinforce ideas we had about where people can be stressed in the city and why though.

New SLIP Question

S

Why do people not do the activities they know will reduce their stress? Barriers etc

L

• Bad weather
• No time
• Too busy
• Health
• It's too late to go outside for a walk
• Friends not being available
• Being/feeling lazy
• Sleeping in

I

• Factors outside of your control
• No time/too busy
• Wanting to do nothing instead

P

Most Common Reason = No time/too busy
Second Most Common Reason = Wanting to do nothing instead
Least Common Reason = Factors outside of your control



Insight: Through doing SLIP exercises we found that the thing that make's people the most stressed in the city is getting from 'A' to 'B', the thing people are most likely to do to reduce their stress is taking a moment for themselves, and the reason why people are most likely to not to do something that they know reduces their stress is because they have no time/are too busy.

Surveying/Asking Questions

Do you find city living stressful and for what reasons?

Not overly, though certainly some things stress me out! One is probably neighbours playing music at all hours (I live in an upstairs flat in a block of flats, so neighbours all around). Uni is probably my biggest source of stress!

For me, the most stressful part of living in a city is the traffic and the large number of people. Traffic/lots of people can be a bit overwhelming and overstimulating.

Yes, the city is stressful, it's always so busy 24/7. No time to stop and de-stress.

Not really.

Not at all! 

I find it stressful sometimes because I come from a small town with a lot less people.

No, everything is convenient, good public transport, access to shops.

Not particularly as where I live is close to the places I need to go. Although the noise annoys me when I need to study or sleep.
Overall, city living is not too stressful for me. However, I think this can vary depending on the city and active management of stress levels.

What activities do you find particularly stressful in the city?

Parking! And driving with nutty pedestrians. Also walking home alone at night.

Driving. There are a lot more pedestrians and terrible drivers in the city. Plus, the city I live in has lots of narrow, one-way streets that make it more difficult to navigate.

Travelling around the city is probably the most stressful activity.

Traffic mainly.

Parking.

Doing errands in town, especially on busy days.

Probably money is something that makes living in a city stressful. Public transport can be stressful, or trying to get somewhere when its pouring rain and you dont have a car!

Driving, university, also when you need to get somewhere fast and there's traffic lights and people in the way/slow walkers.
Transportation. Traffic when driving or navigating a public system transport- both options are pretty stressful.

What areas in the city do you find most stressful?

City centre.

Downtown. The higher the density of people, the more stressful it is.

The roads.

Driving behind muppets.

When there is lack of communication about streets being closed/busy due to public events.

The middle of town (in and near the Meridian Mall).

I think that lambton quay is probably the most stressful place, mainly because its so congested with people most of the time that you have to battle your way through the crowd.

Industrial areas, areas that you don’t know as well.

Popular intersections.
Crowded areas with lots of people.

How do you reduce your stress?

Attend church services, scenic drives alone or with friends, going for a run in the botanic gardens, practicing with a dance group.

Dance, read, watch movies, go for walks.

Take time for myself. Go for a walk, watch a movie, have a nap, hang out with a friend, go out to my parent's farm.

Go sailing.

Reading, listening to music, eating.

I go into town with a friend or if I'm by myself I listen to music.

I reduce stress by going on walks, mainly Evans Bay or around Mount Vic. Sometimes I like to just sit somewhere quiet and read for a bit as well.
Complete tasks that are stressful, confront task head on, make headway on problems, go for a walk or run.

Nap/sleep, eat, cry, walk, go in the fresh air.
Yoga, journaling, and walks.

Why do you sometimes not do these activities that you know reduces your stress? Barriers etc

Bad weather mainly (rain, storm, ice)! Though also choosing to sleep in instead of activities in the morning. 

Usually if I don't do these things, it's because I'm being lazy or I'm too busy.

I feel like I don't have enough time for things like that I guess. I have too many other things to get done.

Factors such as a friend not being available, but I can listen to music almost every time.

Going for walks is hard when the weather isnt co-operating.

Weather, health.

No time, it's too late to go outside for a walk.
Time management, or weather.

What’s your thoughts on the opinion that nature reduces stress?

I very much agree!

I would agree with that. Being immersed in nature makes it easier to let go of the current stresses in my life and be more present in the moment.

I reckon nature does reduce stress, it's always quite peaceful to go for a walk in the park or just chill out on the farm. It's a much slower pace to city life.

The sea is great.

Too busy, life style.

I think nature can reduce stress.

Would 100% agree that nature reduces stress. Even just going somewhere that you can get away from the loud noises and hustle in the city, even when you are still in the city is good. eg: the botanic gardens are still quite central within the city (although you can't really appreciate this as much on a rainy day).

I agree.

I believe it does. I grew up in a rural area and being amongst greenery and trees has a calming effect on me. Here in the city I feel an absence of it.
I strongly agree that nature has an impact on stress relief. The park or gardens in Christchurch are always calming to visit, and in Paris I actively sought out places with nature further from the city centre on the weekends.

Tell me about a time you felt nature reduced your stress?

I was feeling very stressed at the beginning of the year with uni starting up and moving into a new flat etc, so I got in my car and drove out of town and up a hill until I could find a bay to stop in with a view. I just sat and looked out at the hills and harbour and felt less hemmed in by the uni and town and it helped me put my stress in perspective. The landscape also reminded me of home.

Several weeks ago, I took a trip to the mountains. I woke up super early and took a hike to see the sun rise over the mountains. I felt at peace being far from all the people and just appreciating the beauty of the state where I live.

I love to look at the stars whenever I'm out at home, it always makes me feel really small and my problems insignificant.

Went sailing.

When I was feeling overwhelmed (especially last year) I would go to the Botanic Gardens and walk around/ sit down for a while.

I like going on the nature walks because its somewhere thats quiet and you are able to be by yourself.

I went for a run through a park.

I have taken my sketch books with me up Mount Vic and sat under a tree to do uni work. It is a relaxing, freeing, fresh space which is opposite to city buildings, concrete etc. Also nature is a comfortable space as it is familiar with my childhood, nostalgia factor.
I visited the Bois de Vincennes and spent the entire day walking through the forest away from people and the crowded busy city. It very much helped me feel calm and relaxed when I needed it.

Where would you appreciate seeing more nature within cities?

I think there is an opportunity for incorporating plants on large blank end walls of buildings and retaining walls to break up the monotony. Low to the ground plants and flowers along streets would also be nice (I find trees on footpaths can sometimes add to the confusion with lots of pedestrians and cars and buildings and signs in the city centre.)

Having more parks and building/working the city around nature, rather than destroying it for the sake of convenience (i.e. building a road that wraps around the mountain, rather than blasting holes to make a tunnel that goes through the mountain).

It'd be nice if there weren't so much light pollution I guess. Or more comfortable seats around uni to just lay back and relax.

It would be nice to have a few more little sitting areas/ coffee/store with trees and nature.

Maybe along the streets, or if they had more trees, plants, etc in the Octagon.

Inside buildings.

We need more natural spaces in the city.

Especially in New Zealand, where nature is such an important part of our culture I think it is important there is nature in cities.

Asking Questions

Over the weekend I had a big family gathering in Kilbirnie, Wellington so I asked my city living relatives some of the developed question discussed in class to gather some insight into different perspectives of stress in the city.

Q.How has you day been going, tell me about a stressful moment today.
A.1 We had to find a costume for a staff party so finding something in the city was stressful
A.2 We have a family gathering tonight thats been stressful
A.3 Driving to the family gathering in the city, finding the address was stressful

Q.How do you reduce your stress?
A.1 Exercise
A.2 Baths with candles and a glass of wine

Q.What would you avoid when you’re stressed?
A.1 Going out
A.2 Socialising
A.3 Driving

Q.Do you find city living stressful and for what reasons?
A.1 No, everything is within 10 minute walk or drive good public transport

Q.Describe an activity you find stressful in the city?
A.1 Shopping for something in particular
A.2 Ordering food with a queue behind you so being pressured to order

Q.Tell me about a time you felt stress in the city.
A.1 Getting to places on time
A.2 Parking when late

Q.What do you think about city life compared to suburban or rural life?
A.1 Busier, easier access to everything, taxi is cheap, no worrying about drink driving, good public transport - not relying on a car, everything is walking distance
A.2 too many people, too many cars and building, very crowded in general

Q.What’s your thoughts on the opinion that nature reduces stress?
A.1 Yes it's calming, Lots of Grass is nice

Q.Tell me about a time you felt nature reduced your stress?
A.1 Going to the beach
A.2 Walking in bush/beach

Q.Why do you think nature might reduce stress?
A.1 It exists without needing interaction

Q.Where would you appreciate seeing more nature in the city?
A.1 All around the MIDDLE of the city

SLIP Exercises

S

What makes people stressed in the city?

L

• Driving (traffic, narrow lanes, one-way streets, changing lanes etc)
• Transport
• Parking
• Crowds
• Traffic Lights
• People (especially not being courteous/respectful)
• Queues (waiting + feeling like you're holding people up when you get to the front of the line)
• Weather (always changing, not sure what to wear)
• Directions/Lost

I

• Getting from 'A' to 'B'
• Weather
• Lots of people

P

Most Stressful = Getting from 'A' to 'B'

Second Most Stressful = Lots of people

Least Stressful = Weather

S

Activities people do to reduce stress.

L

• Exercise
• Relaxing Bath
• Sailing
• TV
• Alone Time/Own Space
• Music
• Going To Gardens/Parks
• Helping People/Volunteering
• Eating
• Going For A Walk/Run
• Cooking/Baking
• Take Photos
• Reading
• Swimming
• Boxing
• Talking With/Calling Parents/Family/Friends

I

• Exercise
• Hobbies/Recreation
• Being outside
• Interacting with people that you're close with and will give you support
• Taking a moment to do something relaxing, "me time"

P

Takes The Least Time To Help Reduce Stress = Taking a moment

Takes The  Second Least Time To Help Reduce Stress = Interacting with people who will support you

Takes The Third Least Time To Help Reduce Stress = Being outside
Takes The Fourth Least Time To Help Reduce Stress = Hobbies/Recreation

Takes The Most Time To Help Reduce Stress = Exercise

Insight: People know that they can do these activities to release their stress, but interestingly they feel that spending their time on activities instead of what is stressing them will make them more stressed.

Empathy Map Exercise

W2S1 Lecture

Respond to the context, using lateral thinking across disciplines

Visual Brief:

• Audience Profile (Tim is a ___)
• Situation/context (He does _____)
• Insight (surprisingly ___)
• Hunch (How can we improve ____)
• ‘Five way to Wellbeing’ (how can I incorporate this to make my result useful, what are the top 5 ways to help Tim)
• Response/Identified Opportunity

Reflective diary session after each class, individually.

• What did I do
• how do I feel about it
• how did it advance our project

Define mode:

• Unpacking feelings and emotions, which focuses and frames the problem
• Provides a reference point for team-mates to stay on the same track.

Empathy Map

• Says/Hears, 
• Does, 
• Thinks, 
• Feels
  in a person, which helps to find insights and contradictions in how the person is that we can resolve. Add a name and a situation. Make links between the fours sections.

Add three sections underneath:

• Barriers/Pain points
• Gain/Facilitations
• Insights/Tensions (Bob is a really outgoing, confident character, but when he’s in a new scenario, he loses all confident and is really insecure and quiet.)

SLIP Map

• Sort
• List
• Integrate
• Prioritise

Journey Map

• Before/during/after the event, to identify opportunities and problems

User Persona

• Who is your user? Profile and describe the things that they do, who they are etc.

Secondary Research

"More than half of the world’s population now lives in cities, making the creation of a healthy urban environment a major policy priority."

"Many authors have proposed that social stress processing in the urban environment underlies the greater risk for mental illness."

"Urban upbringing was associated with reduced connectivity, whereas current urbanicity had no effect, supporting an effect of early urban exposure on this regulatory circuit."

"Beyond mental illness, our data are of general interest in showing a link between cities and social stress sensitivity."

http://www.nature.com.ezproxy.massey.ac.nz/nature/journal/v474/n7352/pdf/nature10190.pdf


"Natural areas have a special role in large cities"

http://sfrc.ufl.edu/urbanforestry/Resources/PDF%20downloads/Talbot_1984.pdf


"Time spent in contact with the natural environment has been associated with better psychological well-being, superior cognitive functioning, fewer physical ailments, and speedier recovery from illness."

http://eab.sagepub.com.ezproxy.massey.ac.nz/content/35/3/311.full.pdf+html


"In this article, we explore the relationships between leisure and stress reduction. Of particular interest is the stress-reducing potential of recreating near nature. In these pragmatic times, one of the arguments for using public dollars to support outdoor recreation opportunities is that these opportunities provide public benefit. Stress management or stress restoration is a potential benefit of leisure."

"This ability of leisure to provide physical and mental relaxation and thereby restore and compensate for the stress and angst of work is a long-standing hypothesis of leisure studies."

"Cultural explanations for why nature causes stress reduction suggest that people learn to associate positive meanings and feelings with nature such as memories of past positive experiences (e.g., recreation), symbols of health and endurance, and personal reminders of family and friends. Encounters with nature, therefore, evoke good feelings, trigger positive thoughts, and consequently restore the individual to a positive mental state. Evolutionary explanations for why nature causes stress reduction suggest that humans are conditioned by evolutionary pressures to respond positively to natural elements that enhance prospects of survival. These theories suggest that evolution "taught" humans to feel good about approaching or lingering near life-supporting landscape elements. Therefore, whenever these elements are encountered, whether or not one's survival is in doubt, one experiences positive feelings and stress restoration."

"Stress is generally characterized by negatively toned emotions such as fear, tension, and anxiety and by the absence of positively toned emotions such as pleasure and calmness"

http://www.tandfonline.com.ezproxy.massey.ac.nz/doi/pdf/10.1080/01490409509513239


"Research reveals that environments can increase or reduce our stress, which in turn impacts our bodies. What you are seeing, hearing, experiencing at any moment is changing not only your mood, but how your nervous, endocrine, and immune systems are working."

"And regardless of age or culture, humans find nature pleasing."

"Being in nature, or even viewing scenes of nature, reduces anger, fear, and stress and increases pleasant feelings. Exposure to nature not only makes you feel better emotionally, it contributes to your physical wellbeing, reducing blood pressure, heart rate, muscle tension, and the production of stress hormones."

"In addition, nature helps us cope with pain. Because we are genetically programmed to find trees, plants, water, and other nature elements engrossing, we are absorbed by nature scenes and distracted from our pain and discomfort."

"In one study in Mind, 95% of those interviewed said their mood improved after spending time outside, changing from depressed, stressed, and anxious to more calm and balanced."

"This also provides a respite for our overactive minds, refreshing us for new tasks."

http://www.takingcharge.csh.umn.edu/enhance-your-wellbeing/environment/nature-and-us/how-does-nature-impact-our-wellbeing


"Humans crave a connection with nature. From gardening and horticulture to taking a stroll through the park or hiking through the mountains, man has found solace in nature for centuries."

"More than 100 research studies have shown that outdoor recreation reduces stress. In a study of individuals exposed to stressful videos of accidents, those who watched a subsequent nature video experienced faster recovery than those who watched a video with other content. Another study established that a view of nature, even through a window, speeds recovery from surgery, improves work performance, and increases job satisfaction."

"Being in nature also bestows a sense of connectedness, meaning, and purpose. There is a sense of chaotic order in the way nature works; the plants and animals are interconnected in a series of complex relationships. Everything coexists in nature without the necessity of outside intervention. It is a system that has existed successfully since the beginning of time, which provides a sense of structure, coherence, and reliability for those wise enough to use nature as a model for life. Realizing that human beings are an essential component of this larger structure can supply a sense of purpose and belonging."

"For many, respect and enjoyment of nature also leads to a sense of spirituality and an appreciation for powers larger than oneself. The wilderness teaches that each individual is unique but also part of the larger whole. In a world bogged down by social pressures, standards of conduct, and the demands of others, nature gives people a chance to appreciate a grander sense that the world is alive, fascinating and meaningful."

"Spending time in nature’s silence better acquaints people with their own thoughts and feelings, leading to a sense of calm and inner peace."

http://www.crchealth.com/find-a-treatment-center/struggling-youth-programs/help/nature-is-therapeutic/


"It seems that, contrary to what was originally boasted about the open office, they actually hinder mental performance by increasing stress and negative health issues."

"It confirms that insufficient privacy in the workplace is an issue throughout the world. The survey results show that being able to concentrate, work in teams without being interrupted or choose where to work based on the task are frequently unmet needs."

"For example, a car horn instantly puts us on alert, distracting us from what we are doing, drawing our attention to it. Something less alarming, like the constant drone or rattle of an air conditioner, can be very annoying, causing stress or frustration when you have to work in the same room."

https://www.smashingmagazine.com/2015/10/increase-workflow-reduce-stress-with-nature-sounds/


"Taking a break may or may not help deal with stress during high-pressure times. What’s crucial is the type of break taken: According to The Wall Street Journal, taking a stroll in the park 'could do wonders' while drinking lots of coffee will just be further depleting."

"Even just looking at photos of nature in a quiet room has a greater cognitive boost than walking down a busy urban street."

"You may actually not even have to enjoy the park, botanical garden, or arboretum to get the benefit. Dr. Berman said: 'You don’t necessarily have to enjoy the walk to get the benefit. What you like is not necessarily going to be good for you.' For them, just looking at images of nature engages “our so-called involuntary attention, which comes into play when our minds are inadvertently drawn to something interesting that doesn’t require intense focus, like a pleasing picture or landscape feature. We can still talk and think while noticing the element.” In contrast, walking down a busy street is exhausting over long periods because we are on the look out for cars and bicyclists, and people bumping into us."

"A quieter city street with interesting natural elements to look at, such as containers of plants, could do the trick, too."

https://dirt.asla.org/2011/09/08/research-shows-nature-helps-with-stress/

Interviewing Week 1

INTERVIEW #1

Q) How has you day been going, tell me about a stressful moment today.

A) My day was spent napping. Literally the most stressful moment was when I woke up and was confused about the time

Q) What activities do you find stressful in the city?
A) Paying for things and trying to get the change back in my wallet quickly enough not to hold up the line

Q) How do you reduce your stress?

A) I hide away from people and the world in summer the botanical gardens. It's nice to lay in the sun on top of the hill with the gun. Winter gets cold and damp, so inside.

Q) Tell me about a time you felt nature reduced your stress?

A) I was stressed (can't remember why) and sat in a forest for a bit. Felt better. Detached from the word and the cause of my stress. The city should have more green spaces about the place.

INTERVIEW #2

Q) How has you day been going, tell me about a stressful moment today.
A) Getting out of bed late because it was cold and I didn’t want to leave

Q) What activities do you find stressful in the city?

A) Finding my way around areas of the city that I don’t frequent

Q) How do you reduce your stress?

A) I take my mind off it by visiting friends, and doing things to help other people. Being able to lessen their stress helps to lessen my own.

Q) Tell me about a time you felt nature reduced your stress?

A) Walking up Mount Vic surrounded by the bush and birds makes me feel distanced from my stress. Being able to see the city from nature, at a distance,  makes me feel like the stress has been left there.

Open Ended Questions

Initial Question Ideas:

How do you feel about city living?
What’s you thoughts on stress in the city?
Tell me about a time you felt stress in the city?
What are reason’s why you feel stressed in the city?
How do you find city life compared to suburban or rural life?
How do you feel about nature?
What’s your thoughts on the opinion that nature reduces stress?
Tell me about a time you felt nature reduced your stress?
Tell me about the environment you live in?
What are your thoughts on the city community?
Why do you think nature might reduce stress?
How has you day been going?
Describe to me your morning.
Describe how you reduce stress?
How do you feel about stress?
What activities do you find stressful in the city?
Where would you appreciate seeing more nature in the city?


Developed Questions:

How has you day been going, tell me about a stressful moment today.
How do you reduce your stress?
What would you avoid when you’re stressed?

Do you find city living stressful and for what reasons?
Describe an activity you find stressful in the city?
Tell me about a time you felt stress in the city.
What do you think about city life compared to suburban or rural life?

What’s your thoughts on the opinion that nature reduces stress?
Tell me about a time you felt nature reduced your stress?
Why do you think nature might reduce stress?
Where would you appreciate seeing more nature in the city?


Asking Our Questions To Another Group:

How has you day been going, tell me about a stressful moment today.

A. "I woke up late and had to run to uni. We were in a new lecture theatre so I wasn't sure where I was going".
"I woke up with my ring caught in my earring".

What activities do you find stressful in the city?

A. Public Transport - Buses/Trains
Wellington weather  always changing - not sure what to wear
Driving in the city with pedestrians and narrow lanes and getting into the right lane.

How do you reduce your stress?

A. Exercise
Watching TV
Alone time in my own room/space
taking photos - photography
Calling/Talking to my parents/family
Cooking/Baking
Listening to music

Tell me about a time you felt nature reduced your stress?

A. Going to the beach for a swim and just laying on the sand
Smell of nature - taking in fresh air

W1S2 Lecture

WHAT CAN WE SEE IN THIS THIRD SPACE?
(Third space is the design epoch we are in, comes after postmodernism)


Emphasis on tangible experiences
Immersion: sense, think, touch, act, feel
Tangible benefits

Individual transformation as product
The customer is the product
E.g. Apple stores, computer shops, gyms

Two-way dialogue
Social dissemination, conversation, audience or user input and participation, rapid decline of interruption advertising

Social Responsibility
“Triple bottom line”: planet, people, profit
Causes and effects, concern, mindfulness…

Provenance
Local vs international
Conscious consumption

Consumer citizen
Social, connected, active consumers
Blurring or social realms…

Authenticity
Facts, truth, genuineness, honesty, transparency, directness, sincerity, concern, mindfulness, real…



EMPATHY

Why empathise?
Understand your audience
Uncover your user’s needs
Challenge assumptions
Reframe the problem

How to gain empathy:
Immerse/Observe/Engage



RESEARCH

Primary Research:
Immerse = Experience what the user experiences, participate in the relevant activity or task, role play
Observe = View users and their behaviour in the relevant context, people watching, fly on the wall, shadowing/tagging along and asking what they’re doing/thinking/feeling, video/photo survey
Engage = Interact and speak with users, informal ‘chats’/interview, surveys + questionnaires, workshops

Secondary Research:
Investigate existing research and data

Initial Research

"Stress is the unspecific physiological and psychological reaction to perceived threats to our physical, psychological or social integrity. And urban living can be threatening if you haven’t enough space of your own, if you experience insufficient security or live under unstable economic conditions. Stress increases with the anticipation of adverse situations and the fear of not having the adequate resources to respond to them. From an evolutionary point of view, stress is the mechanism that prepares us for any ‘fight-or-flight’ reaction, and also causes us to evolve in order to better adapt to our environment. Although not harmful per se, stress may jeopardise our health when stress exposure is chronic or when complete recovery is not possible."

"Living in an urban environment is long known to be a risk factor for psychiatric diseases such as major depression or schizophrenia. This is true even though infrastructure, socioeconomic conditions, nutrition and health care services are clearly better in cities than in rural areas. Higher stress exposure and higher stress vulnerability seem to play a crucial role. Social stress may be the most important factor for the increased risk of mental disorders in urban areas. It may be experienced as social evaluative threat, or as chronic social stress, both of which are likely to occur as a direct consequence of high population densities in cities."

"As urbanisation of our world is inevitable, we urgently need to improve our understanding of the threatening – as well as the health protective – factors of urban living. Evidence is beginning to surface that indicates that the urban population shows a stronger brain response to stress, and stronger cognitive impairment under stress. A recent fMRI study in the journal Nature, conducted by a German research group, showed that these effects seem to occur irrespective of age, gender, general health status, marital or income status."

"Further, activity in another brain region associated with depression, the perigenual anteriour cingular cortex, was positively correlated with the time that an individual had spent in a large city as a child. The more years someone had spent growing up under urban conditions, the more active this brain region tended to be."

"The World Health Organization has highlighted stress as one of the major health challenges of the twenty-first century. Urban living is quickly developing as a major contributor to this."

https://lsecities.net/media/objects/articles/urban-stress-and-mental-health/en-gb/


"In countries with a high standard of living, city residents are as much as 21 percent more likely to develop chronic anxiety than rural dwellers. And even if urbanites hightail it to the nearest patch of green, there’s a chance the stress could follow. There’s evidence that in some residents, city living may even alter the brain to process stress less effectively!

"While cities could mean more stress, rural life isn’t always a breeze. Country living brings its own unique stressors — farmers, for example, are especially prone to psychological distress due to drought or other natural events. And even when rural residents face tough times, they could be less likely than city dwellers to seek mental help. Swamped city-dwellers might actually have an easier time opening up and sending out the S.O.S. (Stop Our Stress!)"

"Luckily, it’s possible to fight stress before it takes its full toll, no matter where we live. Try these tips for a less-stressed urban life. (They work outside the city, too!)

• Say om. Studies suggest learning how to meditate can help reduce city dwellers’ stress levels . So even when a speeding taxi almost mows you down, you can focus on breathing and staying zen.
• Go green. If the nearest patch of grass is covered in canine excrement, it might help to bring nature indoors. Research suggests workers who have potted plants on their desk are more productive and get sick less often.
• Walk (or bike) it out. Beyond pollution and blaring sirens, the commute alone can be a huge source of stress in cities . If possible, skip the subway or bus and walk or bike to work instead. You’ll not only get the benefits of exercise, but you’ll help save the planet, too."

http://greatist.com/happiness/how-beat-city-stress


"Previous studies have shown that city living during childhood is associated with a two- to three-fold greater chance of getting schizophrenia, and even after reaching adulthood, living in a city increases the risk for anxiety disorders by 21 percent and mood disorders by 39 percent compared with non-urban dwellers."

"The amygdala and the perigenual anterior cingulate cortex together form a stress-response pathway in the brain, with the PACC regulating the amygdala, which then helps you process threats and temper your emotional reactions."

"The researchers are looking next to see what parts of city living might influence this difference in brain activity, including factors like amount of green space available, type of neighborhood and culture of the region. These insights could help city planners build better, less anxiety-producing cities."

http://www.livescience.com/14721-city-living-stresses-brain.html


"You are lying down with your head in a noisy and tightfitting fMRI brain scanner, which is unnerving in itself. You agreed to take part in this experiment, and at first the psychologists in charge seemed nice.

They set you some rather confusing maths problems to solve against the clock, and you are doing your best, but they aren't happy. 'Can you please concentrate a little better?' they keep saying into your headphones. Or, 'You are among the worst performing individuals to have been studied in this laboratory.' Helpful things like that. It is a relief when time runs out.

Few people would enjoy this experience, and indeed the volunteers who underwent it were monitored to make sure they had a stressful time. Their minor suffering, however, provided data for what became a major study, and a global news story. The researchers, led by Dr Andreas Meyer-Lindenberg of the Central Institute of Mental Health in Mannheim, Germany, were trying to find out more about how the brains of different people handle stress. They discovered that city dwellers' brains, compared with people who live in the countryside, seem not to handle it so well.

To be specific, while Meyer-Lindenberg and his accomplices were stressing out their subjects, they were looking at two brain regions: the amygdalas and the perigenual anterior cingulate cortex (pACC). The amygdalas are known to be involved in assessing threats and generating fear, while the pACC in turn helps to regulate the amygdalas. In stressed citydwellers, the amygdalas appeared more active on the scanner; in people who lived in small towns, less so; in people who lived in the countryside, least of all."
"Researchers in the US and elsewhere have also found that exposure to nature seems to offer a variety of beneficial effects to city dwellers, from improving mood and memory, to alleviating ADHD in children. Much of this research considers the question of 'cognitive load', the wearying of a person's brain by too much stimulation, which is thought to weaken some functions such as self-control, and perhaps even contribute to higher rates of violence. In terms of its impact on public health, Adli believes that urbanisation may even be comparable to climate change."

"As Adli himself is keen to emphasise, stress is only part of the impact that cities have on our brains. 'There's a lot of what we call urban advantage,' he says, 'When we live in cities there is a much richer environment. There is also better healthcare, better education, a better standard of living. All these are protective factors.'"

https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2014/feb/25/city-stress-mental-health-rural-kind


"The current and former urban dwellers had different brain activity under stress from their non-urban counterparts. And the differences were centered on the amygdala and another brain area closely associated with the amygdala, the little section of specialized brain cells just above the brain stem where other research has found fear begins. The amygdala is your 24/7 'could there be danger out there?' radar. If it senses any kind of a threat, it sets off the hormonal, neurological, and metabolic processes that we think of as the Fight or Flight response, and which biologists call Stress. The urban brains in the recent research went off more readily, and more strongly, when stressed. Their sensitivity to stressors had been permanently set at a higher more hair-trigger level. And the bigger the city the person lived in, the stronger the heightened stress sensitivity."

"Chronic stress:

• Raises your blood pressure, and your risk of heart disease and stroke
• Depresses your immune system. (The more worried you are about getting sick, the more likely it is that you will.
• Suppresses memory, fertility, and growth (it can even permanently shrink the hippocampus, the part of the brain critical to the formation and recall of long term memory)
• Is associated with higher likelihood of clinical depression, and Type 2 (adult onset) diabetes."

http://bigthink.com/risk-reason-and-reality/city-living-stress-and-the-risk-to-your-brain

Winning Ways To Wellbeing

Brainstorm ways in which you could respond, activate or enhance the following points:

CONNECT - Talk and listen, be there, feel connected

• Community fun days in parks, puppies from SPCA, sausage sizzle, games etc 
• Apps 
• Speaking to people on the street, initiating conversations, pop up booth 
• Radio 
• Events that make people take a moment out of their day, initiate conversations with other people, e.g. flash mob, unexpected street performances 
• Shared interest groups, clubs, activity groups etc 

GIVE - Your time, your words, your presence

• Volunteering for worthy causes 
• Helping with something you’re knowledgable and/or passionate about 
• Chatrooms on the internet 
• Spring clean your room/wardrobe/home and give away unwanted things to charity 
• Write an opinion piece for the newspaper 
• Go visit a friend or family member 

TAKE NOTICE - Remember the simple things that give you joy

• Street art 
• The unexpected 
• People watching, relaxing in public 
• Getting free things 
• Listening to music 
• Eating something yummy! 
• Sharing food with people 
• Feeling valued 
• Humour 

KEEP LEARNING - Embrace new experiences, see opportunities, surprise yourself

• Join a shared interest group, club, activity group etc 
• Buy a ticket to something you’ve never seen before 
• Go out for a walk with no destination, adventuring 
• Collaborate on something with people you’ve never worked with 
• Take a class/workshop for something you’ve never done 
• Try a new sport 
• Go to the library and get out a book on a subject you know nothing about 

BE ACTIVE - Do what you can; enjoy what you do; move your mood

• Go for a walk around the block 
• Set small goals, write lists 
• Mix things up, don’t stick to the same routine 
• Journal/evaluate/say something good about your day/project etc 
• Dance to some music by yourself 
• Gardening

Brainstorming

To help us decide which reading to choose we used brainstorms.

Blue = Notes from reading, Green = Our own thoughts, Red = Most stressful place in the city, Black = Reasons why those places are stressful

Blue = Notes from reading, Green = Our own thoughts, Red = People who move, Black = Reasons why those people move

We have decided to choose 'Stress and the City' as we feel like this reading will be more challenging and might provide more opportunities. 

Favourite Two Readings

HOW TO HANDLE A MOVE
Tips for navigating the stress of relocating and feeling at home in a new place.

Spayde, J. (2014). How to handle a move: tips for navigating the stress of relocation and feeling at home in a new place. Retrieved July 8th, 2016, from https://experiencelife.com/article/how-to-handle-a-move/


Relocating to a new city or town is stressful for anybody, even if the move represents a positive change. Largely this is because uprooting yourself from familiar places and people is never easy, and the challenges of adjusting to a new locale are many. How will you find your way around? How will you make friends? Will you lose all the friends you made in your former home? Does anyone sell your favorite mustard? On top of that, you may have second thoughts — did I really make the right decision? What if I’m miserable here?

Elizabeth Stirling, PhD, a Santa Fe, N.M.–based psychologist and psychotherapist who specializes in helping people navigate major life changes, offers some simple advice for overcoming moving anxiety and easing into a new place.

BARRIERS TO OVERCOME

• Fear of the unknown. Stirling points out that it’s natural to worry about the unforeseeable — what this new place will be like as a home, how you’ll respond to it, and so on. Any major change brings unpredictability, which is unsettling.
• Unfamiliarity with the process. “One big determinant of how stressed a move will make you is how often you’ve moved before,” Stirling says. If you’ve never made the transition or your last move was in childhood, you’re bound to be more concerned about the process than a veteran relocator.
• Concerns about losing old friends and making new ones. Parting with familiar people and setting yourself up in a new place usually brings loneliness — and the worry that old friends will disappear from your life entirely. Meanwhile, the prospect of making new friends can be daunting.
• The sheer labor. There’s no way around it — moving takes a lot of work, and you may feel overwhelmed by the myriad details and decisions, from arranging for the moving van to setting up water and electricity in the new place. Then there’s discovering the best grocery stores, restaurants, and possible schools near your new home.
• Regret. In any major life change, even the most positive, there will be things that you’ll miss about your old life. Some regret is inevitable, Stirling believes, but having second thoughts doesn’t necessarily mean the move was a mistake.

STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESS

• Research the new place. Before you leave your familiar surroundings, learn about your new home through books, maps, online sites, and people who know the area, Stirling suggests. If you don’t have time to do much research before you move, do it when you get there. Pretend you’re a tourist and you don’t want to miss anything.
• Think positive. “One of the greatest rewards of moving is the fact that it represents new beginnings and new excitement — a fresh landscape, new people to meet, perhaps a new and better job,” Stirling says. “If you keep that in mind, you can overcome a lot of negative feelings about the changes.”
• Create and use a support system. Don’t hesitate to get support from your good friends in the place you’re leaving. “If you’re feeling down about the move, before, during, or after, let them know it and ask for their support,” Stirling says. “Contact them after you’ve moved, and go back to visit them, too, if you can, for some TLC.”
• To make new friends, be a joiner. Mutual-interest clubs, classes, and religious gathering places offer easy and immediate opportunities to connect with new people. Stirling suggests finding groups to join as soon as it’s practical.
• Learn from your new contacts. “Finding resources, like good restaurants, doctors, massage therapists, and such, can take time,” says Stirling, “but you can do it best through the people you meet.”
• Involve the kids. If you’re moving with kids, ease their stress by including them in the process. “Show them maps, get them involved in finding information about the new place,” recommends Stirling. Try to minimize disruption to the school year.
• Don’t move alone. “It’s difficult to move on your own,” says Stirling. If you’re single, or the only adult, she suggests asking a relative or friend to help you with the process. He or she can assist with the endless details, like scheduling moving trucks and connecting new utilities, as well as provide emotional support.
• Start by establishing a comforting routine. “It’s good to set up some routines in the new place for a feeling of belonging in your new environment,” says Stirling. A regular walk in your new neighborhood can familiarize you with the streets and with your neighbors. A gym routine can help structure your day and serve as a way to make new friends.
• Seek out new experiences. Instead of lamenting what you’re leaving behind, Stirling says, search for opportunities that are uniquely available in your new locale. If you have to say goodbye to a thriving theater scene, try getting into the hiking or horseback riding that are now available in your new home.
• Reconnect with your partner. If you’re moving with a partner, know that it can strain relationships, says Stirling. Set aside time for connecting to help ease the pressure. “Make ‘us time,’ go on dates, and help each other discover the new place,” she says.
• Hang pictures on the wall. “If there’s one simple thing that can make your new place feel like home right away,” Stirling says, “it’s getting your favorite pictures on the wall, even before you finish unpacking.” Your favorite art and photography — icons of who you are and what you love — are the fastest way to make a new place feel like it’s your own.

STRESS AND THE CITY
How urban life affects the brain and what to do about it.

Ellard, C. (2012). Stress and the city: how urban life affects the brain and what to do about it. Retrieved July 8th, 2016, from https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/mind-wandering/201208/stress-and-the-city


More than half of the people of the world live in cities, and all signs suggest that the urbanization of human populations will continue to accelerate in coming decades. In some ways, this is a good thing. One can make the argument that increasing population densities in urban cores is easier on resources than the kind of sprawling car-centric city planning that we’ve seen in so many places, especially in North America. It’s this kind of argument that is behind legislated city planning by-laws that place financial penalties or outright bans on development in the suburban hinterland of a city, while providing incentives for development in the downtown core.

For some of us, the push for higher density is welcomed. We yearn to see central business districts teeming with pedestrian traffic both day and night. We relish the idea of having a greater variety of destinations for shopping, eating, and playing, and we like the idea of being freed from our cars and able to lead more of our lives on foot. Others are more attached to the low-density lifestyle with room to spare, a double car garage, wide boulevards and plenty of parking at the mall. There’s no denying the attractions of both types of lifestyle and it’s likely that each appeals to a particular demographic. For families with young children, for example, the merits of being able to load up the van with the encumbrances of family life as compared with shepherding young kids on foot through busy city streets is not hard to see.

Regardless of which side of the densification divide you might choose to plant your flag, however, there’s no denying that living the city life is taxing on both the body and the brain. It has been known for quite some time that rates of mental illness tend to be higher in busy urban centers than they are in the countryside. Many studies have shown that people born and raised in cities have higher rates of psychosis, anxiety disorders, and depression, and such effects may be independent of confounding factors such as family history and socio-economic status. There’s much that we don’t know about the causes of such associations between place and mental health, but it’s distinctly possible that the stressors of daily life in the city may contribute to the prevalence of such disorders.

One recent study that received an enormous amount of media attention showed that, compared to rural dwellers, city dwellers were much more reactive to social criticism and that these reactions were actually visible in brain activity revealed by functional imaging methods. In this study, participants were asked to carry out difficult math tasks while being criticized harshly for errors. City dwellers showed higher levels of activation in the amygdala—a brain area known to be involved in regulating emotional responses to events—than those from the countryside. In a way, this finding is counterintuitive because one would expect those people subjected to the daily travails of living in a high-density environment to be more immune to assaults on the brain systems responsible for coordinating their emotional lives. But it’s possible that the constant barrage of attention-demanding threats and alerts that occur during an average day in the city overwhelms such systems. After all, human beings have evolved to cope with much more pastoral settings than those of mid-town Manhattan.

So what’s a city dweller to do? There’s now good evidence that exposure to nature, even if brief, can help to immunize our brains against the effects of urban stress and can also improve cognitive function. So one kind of answer would be for city dwellers to be vigilant in the protection of urban oases of green-space whenever they see them under threat. We need our city parks not just for good aesthetics or as festive public spaces but also because they have been proven to heal our minds and bodies.

But other than making sure that we don’t miss a critical public meeting of city legislators about a proposal to change our green-spaces, what can we do to help us regulate the stresses of dodging traffic, negotiating crowded sidewalks, and dealing with honking car horns and the sirens of emergency vehicles on a 24/7 schedule?

An important first step might be to arm oneself with knowledge. When we try to regulate our stress levels by avoiding triggers, we most often think in terms of people or events. I don’t like getting my hair cut, for example, so I make sure that when I go to my hairdresser I make it part of a longer and more enjoyable adventure. I can feel my blood pressure go up when I have to deal with a particularly difficult person at work, so I prepare myself by using some relaxation techniques before I engage with them. But what if we tried thinking about environments of stress rather than the episodes and exchanges that irk us? You might find it takes some practice to become sensitive to the influence of where you are on how you feel. You might even want to take advantage of some of the interesting technological aids that are coming onto the market to help you self-monitor stress levels (I’ll talk more about these in a future post).

But if you take the time to understand what makes you tick and how it relates to where you are, you might find that you can alter your patterns of behavior in ways that lessen your everyday stresses. Are there new routes you can explore that take you into or near urban parks you wouldn’t normally encounter? If you can do this, are you able to monitor how the new route makes you feel? Can you gain refreshment simply by avoiding the well-worn habits of your usual day in the city by exploring a new neighborhood? Do you dare to confront the anonymity of life in the city by greeting a stranger on an elevator? Can you find a busy public space and sit for a few minutes people-watching? As with so much of life, the key to greater satisfaction and enjoyment often lies in taking the time for mindful observation of one’s own habits and movements.