How Nature & Other Physical Environments Impact Your Focus, Cognition & Health | Dr. Marc Berman
Huberman Lab
2025/07/14
How Nature & Other Physical Environments Impact Your Focus, Cognition & Health | Dr. Marc Berman
How Nature & Other Physical Environments Impact Your Focus, Cognition & Health | Dr. Marc Berman

Huberman Lab
2025/07/14
Shownote
Shownote
My guest is Dr. Marc Berman, PhD, a professor of psychology at the University of Chicago whose research explores how different physical environments—particularly nature and patterns found in nature—can positively impact our ability to focus, our cognitive ...
Highlights
Highlights
In this episode, Dr. Marc Berman explores how physical environments, particularly nature, can significantly influence cognitive performance and mental well-being. He discusses the science behind attention restoration, explaining how exposure to natural settings helps recover mental resources depleted by daily tasks. The conversation delves into both theoretical frameworks and practical applications, offering insights relevant to people living in urban, suburban, and rural areas alike.
Chapters
Chapters
Marc Berman
00:00Direct vs Involuntary Attention, Mental Fatigue, Attention Restoration Theory
02:14Attention Fatigue, Focus & Vision, Tool: Restoring Attention in Nature
06:59Sponsors: Helix Sleep & BetterHelp
11:26Focused Work, Tool: Pre-Work Nature Breaks to Enhance Focus
13:50Nature Walks & Cognitive Benefits, Comparing Nature vs Urban Environments
15:54Nature, “Softly Fascinating Stimulation”, Fractals
21:31Nature Images & Sounds, Cognitive Benefits
27:12Urban vs Nature Images, Complexity & Image Compression; Semantics
30:03Time Perception & Nature; Art Galleries
40:44Tools: Resetting Attention & Nature Break; Features of a Restorative Nature Environments vs Focused
45:32Transcript
Transcript
Andrew Huberman: Welcome to the Huberman Lab podcast, where we discuss science and science-based tools for everyday life. I'm Andrew Huberman, and I'm a professor of neurobiology and ophthalmology at Stanford School of Medicine. My guest today is Dr. Marc ...