"As you strut down the street, your eyes naturally move side to side. You look to the left to check out a pretty tree, then to the right when you see a cute dog, and back to the left to read the sign on a coffee shop. "These lateral movements actually quiet and dampen the emotional fear centers in our brain," user @mindbrainbodylab said in the clip."
"According to Ciara Bogdanovic, LMFT, a licensed psychotherapist and founder of Sagebrush Psychotherapy, optical flow is what happens when your eyes scan your environment while you walk - and it's a true recipe for calm. "It is our brain processing where we are in space," she tells Bustle. Stepping outside opens up your visual field, allowing you to look around and take in your surroundings."
Optical flow occurs when the eyes scan the environment while walking, creating lateral movements that help the brain process spatial position. Stepping outside expands the visual field and engages peripheral vision, signaling safety to the brain. Bilateral stimulation from side-to-side eye movements quiets and dampens emotional fear centers, reducing activity in anxiety-related regions. Movement and fresh air further contribute to stress reduction and improved mood. Walking provides rhythmic, embodied sensory input that calms the nervous system and can make decision-making and problem-solving feel easier. Many people experience walking as a preferred coping strategy for anxiety and overwhelm.
Read at Bustle
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