Atlas of the Heart: Mapping Meaningful Connection and the Language of Human Experience

by Brené Brown

Tranquility may be my new favorite emotion. Why? Check out the research definition: “Tranquility is associated with the absence of demand” and “no pressure to do anything.” No demands? No pressures? Sign me up. Or should I say “Take me away.” “Tranquil environments” provide many restorative elements that are needed to counter mental fatigue and attention depletion. Researchers Rachel and Stephen Kaplan found that there are four essential elements of a restorative environment: a sense of getting away, a feeling of immersion, holding attention without effort, and compatibility with one’s preferences. Additional research shows that there are auditory and visual components to tranquil environments, including elements of nature and low levels of noise. Settings that induce high tranquility include fields and forests and large bodies of water; urban settings tend not to induce tranquility. Like I said. Take me away. One thing to note: There’s a difference between feeling content and feeling tranquil. With contentment, we often have the sense of having completed something; with tranquility, we relish the feeling of doing nothing.