Humans are designed to be connected with nature. Even in our modern world, we are still synced to the natural world. If you’re feeling burnt out, tired, or unhappy, reconnecting with nature can help to bring you a sense of calm and refresh yourself. There are a few things that we can do to feel connected with nature, and pause, refresh and notice the world around us.
Bring the Outdoors Inside
If you can’t get outside, it’s easy to stay in touch with nature by creating a mini-ecosystem. Buying plants for your home or balcony is an easy way to bring nature inside, or you can even create a mini terrarium or vertical gardens. Perhaps you can even enroll in a community garden. Spending a little time each day tending to your plants, and watching them grow can help to bring a sense of happiness to you. Starting small is a great way to ease yourself into the plant world, so try things like herbs or lower-maintenance plants. Indoor gardening is one of the best ways to reconnect with nature.
Take a Walk
Getting outdoors is a great way to break up your day and escape from the stresses of everyday life. Spending the day with technology and devices can make your day sedentary. Our time spent outdoors has taken a hit in recent years. Going out for a walk or a jog can help to give us a change of scenery, and fresh air can help clear our minds. Also, this is a great way to include physical activity as well as noticing aspects of nature like plants, birds, and wildlife.
Try a Seasonal Diet
A seasonal diet is a great way to reconnect with nature. In the modern world, everything can be available all year round, and while there are upsides to this, it has also led us to lose connection with nature and the local environment. A seasonal diet has lots of health benefits because produce is freshly harvested. The body's nutrient demands can vary with the changing seasons. Try visiting your local farmers' market and picking up fresh fruits and vegetables in season.
Walking Barefoot
One of the best ways to stay grounded and connect with nature is to touch the earth. This can create contact with the earth’s surface electrons and it also has multiple physical and physiological benefits such as improved sleep, reduced pain, and increased immunity. Spending a few minutes in the morning walking barefoot in the grass, breathing in the fresh air, feeling the sun on your skin. Even better, if you have access to a beach, you can walk and feel the sand underneath your feet to rejuvenate yourself. This connection with nature can help to make you feel grounded.
Spend Time with Animals
Another way to connect with nature is to take an interest in other living creatures. Animals and birds are a great way to stay grounded by spending time with them. Quality time with pets is proven to have great health benefits and can teach us to be better beings. There are a lot of ways to get reacquainted with nature, such as walking your dog or even spending time at a local animal shelter or farm. You can even foster an animal, for example.
Go Camping
If you’re able to, spending a night or two outside can be a great way to enjoy time in nature. Take a break from technology and try an outdoor activity like rock climbing, glamping, fishing, or even canoeing. Most camping sites can offer hike trails and maps too. If you can’t get away, even pitching up a tent outside can be a great way to get out of your routine. Do camping activities in your back garden like stringing up a hammock or star gazing. This is a great way to get out in nature and get away from screens.
This earth day, try and do one of the above to help you to pull away from the modern digital age and back to your natural instincts. It’s never too late to reconnect with nature and find your roots.
By Amy Cavill