Abstract

Over the last two decades the psychological benefits of mindfulness, a state of heightened awareness of the present centered on one’s own thoughts, have been widely reported. Typically this is achieved through deliberate meditation or during activities that require little or no direct attention. Such self-awareness is difficult to combine with tasks that require active concentration, however, which includes many kinds of work. Previous research has shown that two of the major benefits of mindfulness, reduced stress and improved subsequent attention, can also be produced by introducing visible wind-generated movement into an otherwise static indoor environment. This has the advantage of keeping occupants stimulated without taxing their directed attention, making it potentially compatible with tasks requiring concentration. The experimental results reported here suggest that, as with mindfulness, the benefits of such movement may stem from an increased connection to the present.