ast week, I invited our group to go to Hyde Park for a chat. It was a beautiful day and I brought some paper and pens so that they could just write and draw.All the students in our group had previous experience of lying on the grass.
I found that most people’s notes recorded words such as freedom, comfort and relaxation, whether they were used in a positive or negative way. Most of these words were associated with grass and sky clouds, natural scenes.
Related studies have shown that when we slow down ,stop the busywork ,and seek out natural surroundings ,we not only feel restored but also improve our mental performance.
Researchers from the University of Exeter Medical School analyzed data from 10,000 urban citizens and found that those living near more green space reported less mental disease.Richard Mitchell ,a geographer at the University of Glasgow ,found fewer deaths and less disease in people who lived near green space ,even if they didn’t use them.
one student said she had been to the beach the other day and said she had spent three days lying on the beach doing nothing, and that lying on the grass today reminded her of what it was like to lie on the beach. I asked her what you thought was the difference between lying on the beach and lying on the grass, and she thought about it and told me: lying on the beach is a holiday, lying on the grass is spending the weekend. Maybe lying on the grass is a way for people to find some peace and relaxation in the busy city, to be close to nature and to slow down the pace of life.
Maybe I could organize a ual lying on the grass club, inviting students to sit on the grass during break time to chat and play games and develop it as a social tool.