There's a reason why it feels so good to travel to a new place and explore a new destination—and it has a lot less to do with leaving behind work, chores, and errands than you might think. While it's always nice to skip out on the day-to-day grind, what our bodies—and brains—are actually craving is a change of scenery, according to a recent study published in the journal Nature Neuroscience.
"People feel happier when they have more variety in their daily routines—when they go to novel places and have a wider array of experiences,” explains Catherine Hartley, assistant professor in New York University’s Department of Psychology. Researchers found that the relationship between positive emotions and variety of experience is associated with a greater correlation between brain activity in the hippocampus and striatum, two brain regions that are associated, respectively, with the processing of novelty and reward.
Of course, the pandemic has made changing our scenery much more difficult to achieve, thanks to infection risks associated with public transportation. We've even cut back on far more mundane forms of experiential variety, like commuting to work or running errands. (Ah, to wander the stalls of antiques markets, or even the aisles of a grocery store, without a care in the world.) So, what can we do to save our sanity?
Well, we can get outside. That's right: spending time outdoors, whether setting up outdoor home offices or planting victory gardens can actually improve our mental health. In her recent book, The Well-Gardened Mind: The Restorative Power of Nature, British psychiatrist Sue Stuart-Smith offers a few insights into the relationship between nature and our nervous systems.
"Garden settings have...been found to alter the brain's electrical activity through increasing levels of alpha waves. Alpha rhythm is a form of neurological nourishment; it lifts mood through release of serotonin," writes Stuart-Smith. "Indoor settings tend to be static and unvarying, but the nervous system is geared to perceive difference and change. We need sensory stimulation....The sound of wind in the trees or gently flowing water is restful because, within a predictable range, it is endlessly variable."
With that in mind, it may be time to consider installing a garden shed outfitted with as much style as your main digs. These stand-alone structures can be used as an alternate work-from-home setup, a remote school or homework hangout, or a backyard escape for when you haven't left your dining room or den in days.
And while decamping to the garden is no substitute for that overseas vacation you've had to reschedule three times, these eight seriously luxurious garden shed kits, ranging in style from Amish cottage to classic folly, will make you feel like you're worlds away from that same-old vibe inside.