What nature does to your brain — and why that is relevant to meetings

There are two types of meeting locations. Locations that happen to be outside the city. And locations that consciously make use of what a natural environment does to people. The difference is not in the view — it lies in what happens in the brain.

This article explains what science says about nature and cognitive functioning, and why that is relevant to every heath day or strategic session.

What nature does to attention

In 1989, psychologists Rachel and Stephen Kaplan formulated the Attention Restoration Theory. The core idea: people have two types of attention. Focused attention — the conscious focus you employ for strategic thinking, planning, and decision-making — and involuntary attention, which is drawn automatically by something interesting in the environment.

Focused attention is exhausting. After a full morning of meetings, reading emails, and making decisions, the tank is empty. That is why meetings at the end of the afternoon yield less than those at the beginning of the day.

Nature restores that focused attention — passively, without effort. A walk through the woods, a view of a meadow, the sound of wind in the trees: all these stimuli activate involuntary attention and allow focused attention to recover. The effect is measurable and occurs after just 20 to 40 minutes outdoors.

Nature and creative thinking

Cognitive psychologist David Strayer of the University of Utah investigated what happens to the brain after three days in nature without digital devices. Participants scored 50% higher on creative problem-solving. Strayer attributes this to what he calls the “nature effect”: a state of being relaxed yet alert, in which associative thinking comes more easily.

You don't have to spend three days in the wilderness to experience the effect. Even half a day in a quiet, green environment — away from the office, without the usual triggers — is enough to think noticeably differently.

For teams stuck in the same thought patterns, that is no small matter. It is precisely the mechanism that a strategy day in nature makes it different from a strategy day in a hotel hall.

Less stress, better conversations

Nature demonstrably lowers the physiological stress response. Research by Japanese physician Qing Li into Shinrin yoku (Forest bathing) shows that exposure to the forest significantly lowers the concentration of cortisol — the primary stress hormone. At the same time, heart rate and blood pressure decrease.

What does that mean for a meeting? Less stress means less defensive behavior. People are more willing to make a concede, broach a difficult subject, or revise an opinion. The conversations that take place during a retreat in nature are substantively different from the same conversations in an office environment — not because people are suddenly more open by nature, but because the physiological conditions make it easier.

Why the Oisterwijk area works

The forests and fens of Oisterwijk are one of the richest nature reserves in North Brabant. A varied landscape of coniferous and deciduous forest, open heathlands, and quiet fens — precisely the environment the Kaplans described as optimal for the restoration of focused attention.

Ruimte voor Inzicht is located directly on the edge of this area. From the location, you can walk into the forest in two minutes. That makes a walk during lunch not a logistical operation but a natural part of the day.

Do you want to know what else makes a strategy day work besides the location? Read: What really makes a strategy day work — three conditions that make the difference →