You have probably paid a visit at some time in your life to an aquarium to watch fish and learn more about marine life. You might have even felt a bit more comfortable while gazing at the fish in the aquarium at your doctor/dentist’s office as you awaited your appointment. Fish and marine life have fascinated researchers and biologists for centuries for scientific reasons. Recently, British researchers conducted a novel study to determine if aquarium-watching had a significant impact on people’s wellbeing.
Nothing “Fishy” About the Research
In a controlled environment, subjects were asked to observe an aquarium for periods of time while their heart rate and blood pressure were taken at intervals. As more fish were added to the tank, participant’s heart rate and blood pressure dropped. Researchers reported that participants’ moods became more positive as they were calmingly captivated by more fish in the tank. The study ultimately provided significant evidence that fish watching can, indeed, have real benefits to a person’s overall wellbeing.
Fish Tank Forward
How can the findings from this study be most constructively applied to other areas in life and business? Can interior designers incorporate more aquariums into their home and office designs to provide clients a sense of calm and cool ? Can lessons from the fish tank experiment be used to create new therapy programs to help those manage ADD, ADHD, anxiety or stress? And can these ideas be harnessed without posing a detrimental effect on the marine ecosystems?
Most often, the serenity, naturalness and beauty of nature makes people simply “feel good!” While we may not all be able to escape our own “fishbowl” for a jaunt to the ocean, aquarium gazing may provide holistic medicinal benefits which can serve and nourish all of us.
Featured photo credit: christopher michel via flickr.com
The post If You’d Like To Calm Yourself, Watch Fish (Backed By Science) appeared first on Lifehack.
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