A simple way to decrease our stress is to look out at the horizon or up at the sky, known as horizon gazing. When we use our panoramic or peripheral vision, it decreases activity in the brain associated with stress.
There are a number of techniques we can employ to bring down our stress and anxiety levels. Horizon gazing is one of the simplest stress management techniques. Here’s a brief explanation and three options for practicing.
Our Field of Vision Corresponds to Our Perceived Emotions
In Unwinding Anxiety, Judson Brewer discusses the importance of our eye expressions and our experienced emotions.[1] We evolved to correlate the way our eyes are focused with our emotions. A wide-open gaze is associated with openness, curiosity, and taking in information, whereas a narrowed field of vision is associated with being focused and taking action.
Think about this from an evolutionary perspective. We are designed to be outside with open vistas. When we find ourselves at the top of a hill or mountaintop, it can even feel exhilarating as we are hardwired to feel safe and calm as we take in the environment around us with openness and curiosity.
Contrast this with being at eye-level with our surroundings, like down on the forest floor. We are hardwired to be more focused on things right in front of us, to be aware of any threats, and to be able to take action.
Modern Life’s Effect On Our Field of Vision
Over time, our brains learned to associate these different emotions (calm and open versus ready and focused) with the focus of our eyes. In this regard, modern life has had a drastic effect on us.
When we worked outside, maybe in agriculture or foraging for food, we were accustomed to looking out at an open horizon regularly.
Then, the industrial revolution came along. All of a sudden we found ourselves in high rises, buildings, and factories. Our field of vision narrowed.
Next, in what became known as knowledge and information work, many of us moved to an office with computer screens just a couple feet away from us, narrowing our focus further.
Now, we’re all on our cell phones, with a field of vision that’s literally inches from our face as we look down. To counter the stressful effects of staring at computer screens and down at our phones, it’s important to be purposeful about looking up and out at the horizon.
Using Panoramic Vision to Decrease Stress
According to Andrew Huberman, when we look out on the horizon and expand the visual field, it turns off our internal stress mechanisms.[2] His research focuses on the eyes, which are an extension of our brains.
As we focus on objects, whether close or far away, our brains receive the signals and interpret how to feel. Huberman’s research highlights that our peripheral or panoramic vision, utilized when we gaze at the horizon, turns off the signals in our brains associated with stress.
Looking Up to Increase Well-being
Another organization, the Greater Good Science Center, recommends looking up at the sky as a way to boost well-being. Looking up can increase creativity and create a sense of awe.[3] Awe is a positive emotion that helps to counter stress and anxiety.
For more information on using awe to build resilience, read this!
Rick Hanson, a psychologist with the Greater Good Science Center, also wrote about our vision’s effect on our brains. According to Hanson, widening our eyes into a panoramic view activates the parts of our brains involved in holistic and inclusive perspectives, rather than a self-centered mindset.[4] In other words, horizon gazing can help us to feel connected and whole.
How To Practice Horizon Gazing to Decrease Stress
So how can you practice horizon gazing to decrease your stress? There are three simple approaches.
Option #1:
In Unwinding Anxiety, Judson Brewer recommends simply widening your eyes for a few seconds. Notice how it changes your field of focus.
Tip: Consider saying, “Hmm…” out loud as you widen your eyes to increase your curiosity level and further shift your mindset.
Option #2:
Try Andrew Huberman’s recommendation to look out on the horizon and pay attention to objects in your peripheral vision. Notice how much more you can “see” in your environment when you shift to this panoramic view.
Tip: If you’re inside, try looking out a window to create more space for your visual field and increase the sense of openness that fosters calmness.
Option #3:
Try the technique recommended by the Greater Good Science Center. Go outside and look up at the sky for a few minutes.
Tip: If you have kids, this is a fun way to encourage them to look up. Challenge them to find shapes in the clouds.
Small Changes, Big Transformation
Horizon gazing is one small change we can make to decrease our stress and build resilience. Wellness doesn’t have to feel so overwhelming. Give this practice a try this week and let me know how it goes!
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[1] Brewer, J. (2021). Unwinding anxiety: New science shows how to break the cycles of worry and fear to heal your mind. New York: Avery.
[2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqCEOJSvgwA
[3] https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/podcasts/item/why_we_should_look_up_at_the_sky_the_science_of_happiness
