Being in Nature Could Change Our 'Sense of Time'
Vocabulary
Repeat each word, definition, and example sentence after your tutor.
conveyor belt
Noun
kənˈveɪər belt
a machine with a wide band used for moving objects from one part of a room to another
I'm still at the airport, waiting to pick up my luggage from the conveyor belt.
sense
Noun
sens
a particular feeling or sensation, or its quality
Running on the beach gives her a sense of freedom.
distance
Noun
ˈdɪstəns
the size of the space between two points
The distance between here and the campsite is around 10 kilometers.
the big picture
Phrase
ðə bɪɡ ˈpɪkʧər
the whole situation
I think we're focusing too much on small details and need to think about the big picture.
perspective
Noun
pərˈspektɪv
true understanding of how important things are in relation to each other
Sometimes, talking to others can help put your own problems into perspective.
pressure
Noun
ˈprɛʃər
stress or difficulty caused by having too many demands on time, energy, resources, etc.
I'm under a lot of pressure at work.
Article
Being in Nature Could Change Our 'Sense of Time'
The alarm on your phone wakes you up, the train leaves in an hour, the children have to be ready for school, you have a meeting before lunch, a project to finish this afternoon and before you know it, it's time for bed again.
It sometimes feels that we're on a conveyor belt speeding through weeks without enough time to do everything we need — or want — to do.
Is there a way to make everything slow down, even just a little?
Ricardo Correia, a scientist from the University of Turku in Finland, has an answer.
He believes that spending more time in nature or green spaces changes the way we think about time.
Of course, we can't actually make time move faster or slower, but in a new paper Correia argues that when we spend time in nature our "sense of time" is different.
Time is not going slower but it may feel that way, and recent studies support his idea, he says.
He looked at research that compared the way people feel about time when they're in cities and when they're in the countryside.
In one study, researchers found that if you're going for a walk in the countryside it may feel longer than a walk of the same distance in the city.
Spending time in nature may also allow us to see the big picture and give us perspective.
In other words, in the countryside we don't feel the same pressure of time and may actually be able to focus better on our long-term goals.
Spending time in green spaces has been linked to better health and perhaps it could help us to change our relationship with time too.
Discussion
1.
Do you ever feel like time is passing too quickly?
2.
Do you find it surprising that being in nature may change our sense of time?
3.
Are there any activities that you find change your sense of time?
4.
How often do you get to spend time in nature or green spaces?
5.
Do you prefer the fast pace of city life or the slower pace of country life?
