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What bees can teach us about problem-solving and productivity
Farah K
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This week, we’re talking about one of nature’s most iconic characters, and definitely the main character of summer: bees!
According to the scientific journal American Entomologist, one-third of the food we eat comes from pollination due to honeybees. Thank you, bees!
While the tangible gifts of bees are plentiful, we have a lot more to share about the many other gifts and lessons humans can learn from these humble creatures.
Community and Belonging
If you’ve ever stood next to a bee hive, it might’ve initially looked like a buzzing, swirling mass of chaos.
If you observed long enough however, you’d likely notice how their movement is anything but chaotic. Bee colonies are deeply ordered and purposeful systems.
Scientists often refer to a honeybee colony as a “superorganism,” meaning the colony functions almost like a single living being, with each bee acting like a cell in a larger body.
No one bee survives long on its own and the division of labor within a colony is essential.
There are nurse bees, foragers, guard bees, and of course, the queen. Belonging in the hive is tied to participation in a shared system of survival.
Individualistic, human societies often frame safety and wellbeing as something to be managed alone (eat better, sleep more, exercise more).
Bees remind us that our health is also shaped by the functioning of our environment and the relationships we nurture.
Humans also thrive when we have access to safe spaces, shared resources, and people we can turn to in difficult times. Just like with bees, strong social relationships increase our resilience and likelihood of survival.
Want to learn more about our connection to bees and nature? Check out the Attic Bee Podcast by nature therapist and beekeeper, Jodie Schram.
Collaboration and Problem-Solving
Bees are highly collaborative beings that lean on consensus-building and collective problem-solving in order for their colonies to thrive.
One way honey bees do this is via the “waggle dance”, a sophisticated, figure-eight, butt-forward dance performed to communicate discoveries made far from the hive: pollen, water sources, and new sites to build their nest.
“Scout bees” are worker bees tasked with finding new homes that meet all the criteria: dry, hollow, and high enough off the ground to be safe from predators.
When scout bees return to the hive, they dance out the details of each location they found — how far, how big, and what special amenities their new environment might offer.
Then, their “sister bees” leave the swarm to check out these same spots, coming back and performing the dance of the honey bee that found the best location.
The bees continue this dance until they agree on the best spot for their new home.
This fascinating behavior from honey bees offers us great wisdom about the power of collaboration and consensus-building.
The honey bees, each with their own unique role, share both power and information, taking the time to communicate, adopt new perspectives, and eventually, collectively, making the best decision for the safety and flourishing of the colony.
This piece of wisdom from the natural world is a great reminder that no single person has all the answers, that problem-solving often improves when we seek diverse perspectives, and that true collaboration is about holding power with each other and not over one another.
Listen to the sound of bees (unmute to hear!)
Presence and Hope
Next we want to turn for a moment to the gifts bees offer humans, especially during times when we may be struggling the most.
Did you know that beekeeping has shown significant benefits for our mental health?
Emerging research suggests that working with bees, as part of nature-based and horticultural therapy, may support people navigating chronic stress and trauma.
The research points to beekeeping’s calming effects.
Handlers are often encouraged to ground themselves through the small, purposeful movements required to keep bees, helping sustain focus and presence, alongside the simple act of being outdoors in nature.
Nonprofit organizations and therapeutic community groups have sprouted in response to the emerging knowledge that beekeeping can serve as an alternative therapy for specific populations — including military veterans experiencing PTSD, and young people navigating depression, anxiety, and trauma.
Beekeepers-in-training report that even just listening to the hum of the hive helps to ease their minds.
This has been found to be especially supportive for people whom talk therapy may not feel like a good fit. The hands-on, heartening, and connective nature of caring for bees offers a non-traditional and meaningful alternative.
And before we move into our final section, here’s another fun fact about the magic of bees: Recent research found that plants can "hear" the buzzing of nearby bees, which triggers the increased production of nectar. Cool!
Take a Bee Nap
In the summer, bees work at full capacity, building the hive, feeding and strengthening it.
But even bees need breaks from their busy buzzing and constant output.
Did you know that when bees get tired, they take naps in the petals of flowers?
Bees, just like humans, need to recharge, and some species of bees are known to take power naps in between rounds of pollination — sometimes even dozing off mid-pollination!
These naps help increase plant reproduction and biodiversity by restoring their energy and allowing them to visit more flowers and transfer more pollen.
What can bees slowing down after being in constant motion teach us humans?
Our culture tends to make rest feel like wasted time; to celebrate productivity and output, while ignoring the recovery and regeneration that we need in order to contribute meaningfully to our communities.
Like bees, humans are not isolated systems. At an individual level, rest — in all its forms — helps us process new information, boosts our memory and learning, and sustains our physical and cognitive capacities.
Zooming out, bees remind us that rest can have ripple effects beyond the individual, that it also supports the health and well-being of our entire ecosystem.
Rest protects our ability to coregulate, engage in mutual care and presence, and ultimately contribute sustainably to the causes and relationships we care about.
✧˖°. ⋆｡˚:✧｡
We hope you learned something new about the humble bee that you can apply to your own life!
P.S. If you aren't a member of Focused Space, but could use help accomplishing your goals, busting through procrastination, or getting motivated… you are welcome to join us at one of our live guided work sessions, or morning planning sessions!
Take care,
— Farah and the focused space team
This week, we’re talking about one of nature’s most iconic characters, and definitely the main character of summer: bees!
According to the scientific journal American Entomologist, one-third of the food we eat comes from pollination due to honeybees. Thank you, bees!
While the tangible gifts of bees are plentiful, we have a lot more to share about the many other gifts and lessons humans can learn from these humble creatures.
Community and Belonging
If you’ve ever stood next to a bee hive, it might’ve initially looked like a buzzing, swirling mass of chaos.
If you observed long enough however, you’d likely notice how their movement is anything but chaotic. Bee colonies are deeply ordered and purposeful systems.
Scientists often refer to a honeybee colony as a “superorganism,” meaning the colony functions almost like a single living being, with each bee acting like a cell in a larger body.
No one bee survives long on its own and the division of labor within a colony is essential.
There are nurse bees, foragers, guard bees, and of course, the queen. Belonging in the hive is tied to participation in a shared system of survival.
Individualistic, human societies often frame safety and wellbeing as something to be managed alone (eat better, sleep more, exercise more).
Bees remind us that our health is also shaped by the functioning of our environment and the relationships we nurture.
Humans also thrive when we have access to safe spaces, shared resources, and people we can turn to in difficult times. Just like with bees, strong social relationships increase our resilience and likelihood of survival.
Want to learn more about our connection to bees and nature? Check out the Attic Bee Podcast by nature therapist and beekeeper, Jodie Schram.
Collaboration and Problem-Solving
Bees are highly collaborative beings that lean on consensus-building and collective problem-solving in order for their colonies to thrive.
One way honey bees do this is via the “waggle dance”, a sophisticated, figure-eight, butt-forward dance performed to communicate discoveries made far from the hive: pollen, water sources, and new sites to build their nest.
“Scout bees” are worker bees tasked with finding new homes that meet all the criteria: dry, hollow, and high enough off the ground to be safe from predators.
When scout bees return to the hive, they dance out the details of each location they found — how far, how big, and what special amenities their new environment might offer.
Then, their “sister bees” leave the swarm to check out these same spots, coming back and performing the dance of the honey bee that found the best location.
The bees continue this dance until they agree on the best spot for their new home.
This fascinating behavior from honey bees offers us great wisdom about the power of collaboration and consensus-building.
The honey bees, each with their own unique role, share both power and information, taking the time to communicate, adopt new perspectives, and eventually, collectively, making the best decision for the safety and flourishing of the colony.
This piece of wisdom from the natural world is a great reminder that no single person has all the answers, that problem-solving often improves when we seek diverse perspectives, and that true collaboration is about holding power with each other and not over one another.
Listen to the sound of bees (unmute to hear!)
Presence and Hope
Next we want to turn for a moment to the gifts bees offer humans, especially during times when we may be struggling the most.
Did you know that beekeeping has shown significant benefits for our mental health?
Emerging research suggests that working with bees, as part of nature-based and horticultural therapy, may support people navigating chronic stress and trauma.
The research points to beekeeping’s calming effects.
Handlers are often encouraged to ground themselves through the small, purposeful movements required to keep bees, helping sustain focus and presence, alongside the simple act of being outdoors in nature.
Nonprofit organizations and therapeutic community groups have sprouted in response to the emerging knowledge that beekeeping can serve as an alternative therapy for specific populations — including military veterans experiencing PTSD, and young people navigating depression, anxiety, and trauma.
Beekeepers-in-training report that even just listening to the hum of the hive helps to ease their minds.
This has been found to be especially supportive for people whom talk therapy may not feel like a good fit. The hands-on, heartening, and connective nature of caring for bees offers a non-traditional and meaningful alternative.
And before we move into our final section, here’s another fun fact about the magic of bees: Recent research found that plants can "hear" the buzzing of nearby bees, which triggers the increased production of nectar. Cool!
Take a Bee Nap
In the summer, bees work at full capacity, building the hive, feeding and strengthening it.
But even bees need breaks from their busy buzzing and constant output.
Did you know that when bees get tired, they take naps in the petals of flowers?
Bees, just like humans, need to recharge, and some species of bees are known to take power naps in between rounds of pollination — sometimes even dozing off mid-pollination!
These naps help increase plant reproduction and biodiversity by restoring their energy and allowing them to visit more flowers and transfer more pollen.
What can bees slowing down after being in constant motion teach us humans?
Our culture tends to make rest feel like wasted time; to celebrate productivity and output, while ignoring the recovery and regeneration that we need in order to contribute meaningfully to our communities.
Like bees, humans are not isolated systems. At an individual level, rest — in all its forms — helps us process new information, boosts our memory and learning, and sustains our physical and cognitive capacities.
Zooming out, bees remind us that rest can have ripple effects beyond the individual, that it also supports the health and well-being of our entire ecosystem.
Rest protects our ability to coregulate, engage in mutual care and presence, and ultimately contribute sustainably to the causes and relationships we care about.
✧˖°. ⋆｡˚:✧｡
We hope you learned something new about the humble bee that you can apply to your own life!
P.S. If you aren't a member of Focused Space, but could use help accomplishing your goals, busting through procrastination, or getting motivated… you are welcome to join us at one of our live guided work sessions, or morning planning sessions!
Take care,
— Farah and the focused space team
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Tap more to learn about focused space
Join our community
✨ Bust through procrastination with our inspiring community ✨