The trap of seeking serenity lies in our perspective of the environment. For some, they can only find tranquility in the depths of a forest or any realm far removed from the hum of humans. But others discover that a simple shift in perspective allows them to view urban environments as a unique form of nature!
Serenity in the City… where to find it.
There are many ways to decompress, but the best forms of stress relief engage both the mind and body—activating awareness through movement, meditation, and sensory exploration through new experiences.
Strengthen your focus and creative mind by transforming the chaos of the city through visualisation.
Try sitting in a comfortable spot with your eyes closed, listening closely for unique sounds—this will help attune your focus. Next, use your mind to either recall or create a peaceful and natural setting. This encourages imagination and develops your ability to redirect focus (attention). Don’t worry if you drift back and forth between the sounds of the city and your inner oasis, we have trained the mind to follow the path of least resistance, and it takes time to strengthen your skills for awareness and redirection.
Acknowledge the shift in focus and coax your mind back to the place of calm. The more vivid your visualisation, the more sensory faculties are engaged in strengthening development of new neural pathways allowing you to master command over your thoughts and subsequent physiology.
If you are having trouble with visualisation, there are apps that can help guide you through the process. The Salute to the Desk app is especially good for integrating movement with meditation practise, providing postural cues that enhance awareness of physical tension and encourage restorative stretching and alignment (poor posture being a primary catalyst and antagonist for stress).
Pursue new experiences by varying your view.
Studies on divergent thinking show that a lack of new stimulus inhibits creative processing and that new/challenging experiences enhance innovative thinking, improve learning, and problem-solving abilities. It heightens awareness when we expose our senses to different experiences or environments encouraging open-minded exploration, making us more receptive to information, and the formation of new ideas based on unique connections between stored knowledge and new stimulus. Unconventional environments (including virtual and urban settings) appear to offer equal if not greater opportunity for unique creative thinking.
The gamut for exploration is limitless in virtual ecosystems, and the chaotic canvas of the city offers a multitude of changing stimulus for curious minds.
Varying your view to capitalise on creativity allows open minded exploration. Seek a rooftop, bridge or other high vantage point with an expanded view of the world below. Use your imagination to integrate your knowledge of nature with new insights for example, how the movement of pedestrians reflects the flowing lines of a river or the march of ants.
Resources
http://www.salutethedesk.com
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/beautiful-minds/201206/why-weird-experiences-boost-creativity