Field Notes #26: How ocean views affect how we feel, “Atomic Habits,” & a frittata template
Looking out at the horizon really does calm your body
Hello! We are in the middle of a heat wave here in the Hudson Valley, with temperature in the 90s, and the humidity making it feel even hotter. We’ve been inside, playing Exploding Minions and building Lego beach houses, waiting for it to pass. I hope you are staying cool where you are.
1} Relaxing power of ocean views
For the first time in years, since before the pandemic began, I went back to the Outer Banks this month with 12 other members of my family.
I love the beach. There is something so calming and nourishing about being near the water, feeling the breezes outside of stuffy buildings, hearing the sound of crashing waves, and looking out to the horizon.
Staring out to that distant line, where the ocean meets the sky, reminded me of the power of our vision, and what Dr. Andrew Huberman has talked about on his podcast about panoramic views.
Our eyes, he notes, have two purposes: 1) to see the world and 2) to signal to our brain to relax or be alert.
When you are excited or stressed, you get a “soda straw view” — narrowing down to what is right in front of you — and when you are relaxed, your visual field widens.
It works both ways, he says. How you feel affects what you see, and what you see affects how you feel.
Here’s how he explained it on the Tim Ferris Show Podcast:
“This is why when you go to a vista or you view a horizon, it’s very relaxing, because you naturally go into panoramic vision. When you are indoors, you’re looking at your phone, you’re looking at a computer or a camera or something of that sort, or you’re talking to somebody or an intense conversation, you may not notice it, but your entire visual field shrinks to a much smaller aperture, and that drives an increase in alertness and internal state. And we sometimes call that stress if it’s a negative experience. If it’s a positive experience, we might call that love or obsession or fascination.”
“But the important thing to realize is that both vision and breathing have a profound and very rapid effect on our internal state of mind and body, and it runs in both directions. Our internal state, that could be triggered by a text message or hearing something that somebody says, it drives changes in our breathing and our vision. But our breathing and our vision can also drive changes in our internal state.”
It’s not an exaggeration or a figment of our imagination that staring out at the ocean is calming — it really has that affect on our body.
2} The importance of systems
I’m rereading James Clear’s Atomic Habits right now, which has become a classic on how to change your daily habits for the better. It’s full of insightful, practical guidance. If you’ve never read it, I highly recommend it.
One of his greatest points is to focus on systems, not goals.
Goals are about the outcome; systems are about the processes that get you to the outcome.
He points out: Lots of people have the same goals. “Every Olympian wants to win a gold model.” The difference is not the goal. The difference is the systems.
He writes:
“You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.”
This applies to our health in so many ways. Whatever our health goals are — whether we want to have more energy, or get 8 hours of sleep a night, or move every day for 30 minutes, or eat less junk food, or stay out of the hospital — the processes we put in place are the key to making those goals attainable.
What systems do you have now? What systems do you wish you had?
James also writes a terrific newsletter, The 3-2-1 Newsletter, which comes out on Thursday. 3-2-1 refers to 3 ideas, 2 quotes, and 1 question to think about.
3} Ode to eggs
Eggs go in and out of fashion. (I think they are currently “in,” but who knows? )
I love them, not only for their taste but also because they are super fast, easy, and relatively inexpensive. Eggs are often fall in the breakfast category, but they make equally delicious lunches or dinners.
The WebMD article Good Eggs: For Nutrition, They’re Hard to Beat, notes:
“One egg has only 75 calories but 7 grams of high-quality protein, 5 grams of fat, and 1.6 grams of saturated fat, along with iron, vitamins, minerals, and carotenoids.”
(What are carotenoids?)
My favorite egg dish to make is a frittata, basically, a group-sized crustless quiche-omelet that can be sliced into pieces like a pie. It’s fast, uses up all the leftovers or random extras, and presto — dinner!
A frittata is versatile. You can add cheese and sautéed onions. Or leftover grilled vegetables and sausages from dinner last night. Or tomatoes and basil. Or salsa and cheddar.
The main thing is to make sure all the filings are cooked and cut into bite-sized pieces before they go into the frittata, which cooks fairly quickly on the stove in a skillet, and then is finished off under the broiler. (So you need a skillet that can go in the oven, one with a metal handle. If you don’t have one, you can cook it entirely on the stove, but you may need a lid to make sure it gets fully set.)
Here’s a template:
Mix up eggs (I use a dozen for a large skillet, 4 or so for a small pan) with a dash of salt and a few dribbles of milk.
Sauté veggies, if they aren’t already cooked. Sliced mushrooms, onions, peppers, and zucchini are all good options.
If you are adding cheese, shred it, if needed. (Cheddar, parmesan, Swiss, feta, blue cheese all work well.)
Mix the veggies and cheese into the egg mixture.
Sprinkle in any seasonings you like. (This is optional.) I often use dried oregano and basil, or paprika and coriander. If you like spicy eggs, add cayenne pepper or chili flakes.
Heat the pan on medium with a pat of butter or oil, just lightly coating the bottom.
When the skillet is hot, pour the egg mixture into the pan. (Alternatively, you can pour the egg mixture in the pan first, let it set a little, and then dollop the ingredients, like salsa, on top.)
Cook over medium heat, moving around the egg mixture as parts of it cook, turning it over, until all of it is cooked and relatively firm. It will still be a bit wet.
Broil it for a few minutes until the frittata has a bit of brown on top.
Enjoy!
I hope you have a lovely weekend ahead, maybe with a few eggs, a vista, and a new system or two.
To our journeys,
Brianne
P.s. If I were to write a whole Sunday essay on one of these 3 Field Notes, which one would you want to read about? Vote here!