Columns

Exams are looming, stress is building, the Central Lib will soon be overflowing, and the stress-relief method that got us through the rest of the semester – that favourite student pastime, the weekend booze-binge – will shortly be abandoned in favour of Saturday nights hitting the books. Within a few short weeks we will cram a semester’s worth of knowledge into our brains, only to forget it all upon completion of the three-hour word-vomit they call an exam. Finally, we will then be free to bask in the sweet summer sunshine.

What anxiety antidotes can science offer? “Science, Bitches” is here to help!

How about a bit of leafy leisure? Edinburgh scientists recently confirmed that nature itself is relaxing. Using a nifty portable device to measure participants’ brainwaves, researchers tracked brain activity during real-life exposure to natural and unnatural surroundings. They found that brains emit patterns characteristic of “relaxed attentiveness” when subjects are walking through busy but leafy surrounds, like parks. In comparison, when walking through busy and concreted areas of Edinburgh, participants’ brainwaves were characteristic of “stressed alertness.” Yes, science has confirmed that grass is good for you. Is study putting you in a vegetative state? Seek out some vegetation!

Dunedin has a plethora of plant life; any of the following arboreal areas could be perfect for a bit of foliate free time. The Botanic Gardens are lovely and are nice and nearby, plus you can feed the ducks while you’re there! If you’re a bit of a city slicker, you could amble up through the Town Belt and reward yourself with a coffee in highbrow Highgate – no need to go bush entirely. But if some really good bush is exactly what you’re after, head down lovely Leith Valley to Ross Creek Reservoir and the tracks beyond. (Be warned, though, the valley can get quite moist.) Wear some sturdy footwear.

As Thoreau said (verbatim, I swear): I went to the woods to chill out, because it’s science, bitches!