Best Stress Relief Fractals
What is it about a stroll in the woods or going for a walk along a country lane that seems to bring a sense of inner peace? The same way that walking barefoot on the beach, watching the waves and collecting seashells brings so much joy into your heart.
What Are Fractals?
Fractals are geometric shapes and designs that have repeating patterns.
Fractal patterns exist everywhere.
“Chances are you’re drawn to these patterns but don’t know why. Fractals are repeating patterns that recur on smaller and smaller scales. They are found in nature (shells, flowers, the rings of an onion), architecture, and art.”
“Research shows that looking at these patterns has a calming effect. The effect can be quite profound and immediate.” *
Mother Nature’s Surprising Antidote to Stress
Whether you are walking in the woods or strolling barefoot on the beach, what is it that makes you feel so calm?
- Is it simply because you’ve “got back to nature”?
- Is it because you are outside breathing fresh air for a change instead of being stuck in the stress box you call your office?
There is, in fact, a perfectly natural one-word explanation for why you feel so calm and content.
Fractals
They’re all around you, wherever you look. They are even inside you.
How Do Fractals Reduce Stress?
The simplest way to describe a fractal is a pattern that repeats itself over a decreasing scale.
Take trees for example. The branches are copies of the trunk, only smaller. The smaller branches are copies of the larger branches they stemmed from. Twigs are copies of the smaller branches. Each part of the tree is a smaller copy of the whole.
If you were to look at a snowflake under a magnifying glass before it melts, you would see that it is made up of the same complex repeating pattern.
Since the beginning of humanity, we have been surrounded by fractals. They are Mother Nature’s building blocks and our evolutionary comfort zone.
Here are some other examples of F.R.A.C.T.A.L.S found in the natural world:
F – Fiddlehead Ferns
R – Romanesco Broccoli (aka Brocciflower)
A – Aloe Vera plants
C – Crystals
T – Trees & Leaves
A – Angelica Flowers
L – Lightning
S – Seashells
Action Plan: How Do You Use Fractals For Stress Relief?
The obvious answer would be, don’t spend so much time inside.
Tear yourself away from the artificial environment you usually inhabit and get outside more. Even if you have limited time to be at one with nature, nothing is stopping you from getting out in the open air during your work break.
Stand and watch the clouds, or sit on a park bench and watch the trees swaying in the breeze for a few minutes. Do some deep breathing and fill your lungs with fresh air while you’re there. You’ll soon feel your stress melting away like that snowflake you put under the magnifying glass earlier.
But what about when you can’t get outside?
It’s probably not going to be possible for you to drop everything and walk out of the office every time you feel your stress levels rising. Try looking out of the window for a minute or so instead.
And there is another way too. According to research, looking at man-made fractals, such as fractal art, is equally as effective. You can just as quickly lower your stress levels by watching a fractal screensaver on your computer for a few seconds, as you can by watching the clouds roll by or the trees swaying.
Yes, it might seem incredible, but studies have shown the calming effects that fractals have on the mind really do take effect very quickly.
So if you’ve been trying to find out how to reduce your stress levels without resorting to pills or expensive therapy sessions, look around you. The solution is everywhere, hiding in plain sight.
Summary
The beauty of repeating pattern fractals are all around us. And they are eye-candy stress reducers.
Try to go out of your way each and every day to put yourself in one of those fractal-rich environments for about 20 minutes. After about a week or two, you should begin to recognize the benefits.
Notice your stress level before and after each ‘fractal sessions’. I think you’ll quickly realize how you can use fractals to bring more calm and relaxation into your mindset.
TakeAway
Fractals are all around us.
Learn how to look for them automatically and take in the beauty and peacefulness they offer.
The world is what you make of it. Try to find the beauty and serenity that your surroundings present to you.
