🎪 Are Super Spaces the New Super Foods?

Mind your step as you enter the world of environmental nutrition and Ninja Warrior obstacles courses

Apr 08, 2023

WELCOME TO MIND YOUR STEP - ISSUE 10!

DEAR ENVIRONMENTAL NUTRITIONISTS

Are Super Spaces the New Super Foods?

We have physicians to help us ensure a healthy relationship with our bodies. Psychologists to help us cultivate a healthy relationship with our minds. But who do we have to help us build a healthy relationship with our environments?

We know that spaces can offer a healthy dose of psychological benefits. So, what if there were space specialist doctors? Where instead of prescribing pharmaceuticals, they’d prescribe places.

I learned recently that doctors in British Columbia can prescribe year long passes to Canada's National Parks and this idea of prescribing nature to patients is catching on.

Named one of the top 8 global wellness trends in 2019, park prescription programs are quickly becoming a recurring doctor recommended solution. With benefits ranging from increased life expectancy, better immune functioning, reduced risk of heart disease, depression, and anxiety, doctors are recognizing and taking advantage of the health benefits of being in nature.

The more I learn about the subliminal influences of our spaces and about the mental health benefits of things like park prescription programs and schnozelen rooms, I wonder if there will be an increase in environmental medical interventions — place prescription programs.

Should a holistic approach to medicine involve doctors handing out prescriptions for bouldering passes or referrals to social clubs? What could the future of place prescriptions look like? What new immersive environments will be built for this purpose?

I’ve listened to some podcasts about nutrition recently and one piece of advice I’ve heard come up a few times is that we should strive to consume at least 30 different natural foods per week. (Side note, this seems like a daunting task, but “natural foods” includes all spices, plants, grains, etc. So it’s surprisingly a lot more achievable than it seems.)

That advice got me wondering:

What if there were environmental nutritionists?

Since we know that some places have health benefits, then what might an environmental nutrition plan look like?

Imagine going to an environmental nutritionist (EN).

We’d explain our current lifestyle, our goals, and our ailments. We’d tell them about the rhythm of our energy levels and about how they naturally fluctuate throughout each day.

“My mind seems to be super active in the morning.”

“I start to lose energy after I eat in the afternoon.”

“Social events tend to tire me out.”

“My mood tends to dip before bedtime.”

Our EN would be an expert in all things environmental psychology. As if every environment had its own nutritional makeup, they’d be well versed in how specific spaces would be likely to influence us.

Based on our lifestyle analysis, they’d suggest space-related upgrades.

Like:

Since our mind is most active before we eat breakfast, that’s when we should do all of our thinking tasks.

And maybe we should integrate our social life into our idea of healthy sleep hygiene. Since it naturally tires us out, we should aim to engage in social activities in the later parts of our day.

Another use case would be when we’re working to optimize our environmental health and we want the environment version of a green smoothie. They’d be able to recommend recipes in the form of a customized dosage of environmental macros: fresh air, light, nature, novelty, etc.

Maybe we’re looking to solve a specific problem, like dealing with grief, or low energy levels, or severe wanderlust, or loneliness. They’d be well-prepared with a myriad of potential environmental prescriptions. Saunas, mineral springs, forest bathing, etc. Or even international healing spots, like the hot springs in Pamukkale, Denizli, Turkey.

Or the healing forests in Japan.

Perhaps they’d tell us that we need to diversify our environmental nutrition. That the spaces we’ve been spending time in are the equivalent of environmental junk food or binge eating.

What would your environmental nutritionist say about you? What places do you think you should be prescribed?

A little something worth digesting on.

SUBSCRIBE TO MIND YOUR STEP

Mind Your Step is the every-other-weekly newsletter to read if you want to empower your inner world builder. At the intersection of environmental psychology, creative design, and imaginative ideation, it’s the go-to source for learning how to design spaces that influence the way people think.

FEATURED PLACE: NINJA WARRIOR OBSTACLE COURSE

Ninja Warrior: How to Design an Obstacle Course

Think you’ll ever want to design an obstacle course?

Here's a breakdown of the psychology behind the design of a Ninja Warrior stage. Honestly, it’s so clever, it's borderline biblical 👀

It all starts with elevation and the 3 planes of progress. Each plane in a course is designed to affect an athlete’s emotions in a specific way.

Earth (middle plane) = determination, confidence, fear.

Hell (lowest plane) = shame, anger, disappointment.

Heaven (highest plane): pride, joy, euphoria.

Earth is where the journey takes place.

One foot in front of the other. Constant momentum. Eyes on the prize.

Those are its virtues and the course is designed to punish those who lose faith in their abilities.

Each obstacle crafted so that the longer an athlete hesitates, the more they struggle.

Hell is their rock bottom.

Water placed not just to cushion falls. But designed to intensify reactivity.

As punishment for their missteps, fallen athletes plunge into an ice bath.

Climbing out drenched, shaking, and shocked, they appear even more emotional about their fall.

Heaven is designed for feeling on top of the world.

It’s the uppermost part of the course where athletes finally get to hit the big red buzzer.

Sirens sing in celebration. They spread their wings in pride. And they get to look down on the kingdom they just conquered.

An entire obstacle course designed to subliminally influence psychology.

And it doesn’t stop there. Here’s how a Ninja Warrior course is designed to play with emotions.

Exposed Bars and Playfulness

Our inner child loves to climb things.

And with all those playful colours and exposed bars, the course looks like a jungle gym. Making the athletes and the crowd want to participate and play.

Crowds and Motivation

Studies show that performing in front of a crowd boosts our ability to skillfully perform a task we’re adept at. A process known as social facilitation.

The reverse effect occurs when we feel insecure about our ability to perform.

Lights and Stress

Lights and heights at night = major adrenaline rush.

Illuminated reflective materials like metal and water boosting its effect.

Triggering the flight or fight response, adrenaline increases blood circulation, breathing, and energy supplies. Heightening senses and increasing heart rate.

Helping athletes react more quickly and effectively.

Momentum and Faith

Constant momentum is often a key factor in the success of a ninja warrior obstacle.

The slightest hesitation can lead to missteps and muscle fatigue.

Only those who maintain faith in their abilities and instincts can succeed.

Ice Water and Shock

Water is there not just to cushion falls. It is designed to intensify reactivity.

Fallen athletes are condemned to plunge into an ice bath. Intensifying their shock and snapping them out of the flow state that they were in on the course.

Elevation and Elation

It's no coincidence the finish line is on the uppermost part of the course.

Designed for feeling on top of the world.

Winning athletes feel elated — literally in the highest spirits while at the highest point off the ground.

Ninja Warrior is one of the only sports that truly has the ability to get me pumped with enthusiasm.

And it’s no surprise that’s the case, since it’s an entire obstacle course designed to subliminally influence emotion.

RECOMMENDED WEBSITE: 🔗 TRAVEL REMOTELY

Travel the world from home

One of my favourite ways to travel is to play videos of people filming their walks through different cities around the world while I'm working. This is one of the latest apps I've found that makes it easy to travel the world from home.

Mind Your Step