Have you ever felt immersed in the sound and smell of nature? The smell of trees, the sound of water flowing down the creeks, and the overall feeling of joy and inner peace is one unforgettable experience.
Our day-to-day lives usually involve the blaring sounds of cars, loud voices, and sometimes unpleasant environments in the modern world. Connecting with nature has a way of bringing peace amidst our busy lives.
Read on as we walk through the benefits of connecting with nature and suggest various ways you can connect with nature starting today.
The curious and scientists have studied the connection between humans and nature for many decades. Researchers have variously theorized that time spent in nature aids childhood development. They also discovered that people connect with representations of nature, like wall art, ikebanas or bouquets of fresh flowers.
Human beings have an innate need to connect with nature and natural organisms. If we consider the theory of evolution, human beings lived and tried to adapt to the East African Savanna environment for millions of years.
Today, we possess physical and psychological features which helped humans survive in that environment.
As such, some suggest we can link our appreciation of plants and nature scenes to our genetic heritage. Also, our appreciation of animals may have been a result of our experiences.
Connecting with nature plays a significant role in improving our physical and mental health. Here are a few benefits that come with a connect with nature: it helps reduce stress, improves recovery from illness, and boosts energy levels.
The western world can sometimes limit us from cultivating a connection with nature. Our development has replaced many natural areas with urban housing, the trapping of commerce, and road systems. To connect with nature sometimes requires deliberate action rather than making it a spontaneous event.
You can always watch my YouTube video on the subject for your convenience:
Live in the moment
One of the most important ways to connect with nature is to truly be present in the moment. Modern society trains us to live a fast life, from scheduling meetings to beating traffic to eating fast food. We live in such a fast-paced world that we forget to focus and savor the present moment. To build a connection with nature, you must first detach yourself from all the noise and channel your energy towards nature experiences. You can practice this by first taking out a few minutes within the day to detach yourself from the busy schedules, take deep breaths and spend time taking in the trees, birds, and everything within your natural surroundings.
Tune in to all your senses
To truly feel connected to nature, you must learn to engage your five senses. Nature is a sensory experience that involves seeing, hearing, smelling, touching, and sometimes tasting 🙂 If you find it particularly difficult to relax or stay calm, tuning into your five senses is the first step to feeling more grounded and balanced.
So when you get outside, start by engaging your five senses. Take a deep breath, feel the wind and sun penetrate your skin, listen closely to the whistling sound of trees and the sound of birds and insects. Focus further on these sounds and engage your sense of smell and taste. Engaging your senses whenever you’re outside allows you to truly appreciate your natural surrounding.
Read nature books and watch documentaries
Reading nature books and quotes is a great way to take your mind on a psychological journey through nature’s beauty. You can read books related to different aspects of nature. For example, you can search out books that explain the history and evolution of animals and plants. You could also go for more creative books. Perhaps read nature poetry or read quotes that spur you towards nature. Documentaries from National Geographic and alike can also deepen your knowledge of the world around us.
Get a good spot
Getting a good sit spot can help you maintain consistency in developing a connection to nature. When you step outside, find a spot to sit that provides a view of the scenery nature offers. Having a regular place to sit and spend time in natural surroundings helps you appreciate and pay attention to weather patterns as well as the daily or monthly cycles of animals and plants.
Watch animals and birds
Animals are cute, intelligent, and sometimes entertaining. You can watch the day-to-day life of these animals and even pick a few lessons from them. Taking time out to watch the ants move up a tree or a squirrel go down a hole can help you feel more deeply connected with nature. You can watch the day-to-day life of these animals and even pick a few lessons from them.
If you live near a local park or an area with trees, then bird watching is an activity you should try. The experience can be both liberating and fascinating. You can look outside your window or take a walk down the park and observe the day-to-day life of birds.
You might just notice how birds form their nests during mating season or how a family of birds bicker at each other. With birdwatching, you can enhance your connection with nature and appreciate a little more some of the diversity around us and close to home.
Connect with plants
Do you love trees, flowers, and plants? Having green living things around us is a great way to connect to nature. You can visit a local garden or grow a few plants in your backyard (or even on your window sill). Take out time to pay attention to the movements of plants. Meditate on their scent. Notice their stems, leaves, roots, and everything in between. You could also take time to study the different kinds of plants, their names and observe how they interact with insects and other organisms.
Take a walk, run or hike
Walking, running, or hiking comes with its health and wellness benefits. While you savor the moments of nature, you can improve your health through exercise. You can take a different route or course around your neighborhood and explore nature in all its beauty. You could also invite friends or family members to create a shared experience.
Go for a picnic
What’s better than enjoying your favorite meal with friends at a park? Picnics are always a great way to bond with loved ones and with nature.
Watch sunrise and sunset
Watching the dawn or the end of a day can bring feelings of peace and tranquillity. You could spend time every morning watching the sunrise right from your window. If you are feeling anxious after a long day, you could take a stroll to a park or a favorite hideout that gives you a good view of the sunset and simply enjoy the view of a beautiful evening sky.
Relax near the water
There’s something extraordinary about being close to water or sitting and watching the waves roll over the sand. You might find the experience and opportunity to reflect, benefitting your mental health while creating feelings of happiness and peace. Being active in the water, from canoeing to surfing or just taking a swim in a natural environment, also provides the added benefits of a workout. Furthermore, these activities offer a great excuse to get outdoors and enjoy all that nature has to offer.
Go camping
If you want to immerse yourself in nature fully, going camping could be an ideal way to do so. With camping, you can completely detach yourself from all the hustle of city life and take out time to experience nature. You can spend time engaging your senses and enjoying nature in its fullness, free of interruptions. Camping is also a great way to bond with loved ones.
Take part in protecting nature
Taking part in conserving nature doesn’t just benefit the environment but can also deepen your connection with nature. There are various ways you can take part in protecting nature. Some of these include:
- Joining your local community in planting trees: You could reach out to your local community and ask about volunteering opportunities. If there isn’t one, you could set it up within your community;
- Creating green spaces like gardens that are both animal and environmentally friendly;
- Engaging in projects that aim to protect wildlife;
- Participating in removing litter around natural surroundings.
Start nature journal
One of the most impactful ways to improve your nature experiences is to keep a nature journal. Nature is filled with many things you can discover with every time spent. Of course, you’ll find trees, animals, water, weather, and so much more to explore.
Getting out in nature can create a sense of belonging on this earth. It may not always provide a profound experience, but it’s a habit you can build to get more out of it as you evolve your skills. With so many activities involved, journaling can be a great way to keep memories of those activities alive and carry them into the future.
With a nature journal, you can build lasting memories, notice things on a deeper level and get newer perspectives on nature. You might want to consider the following when journaling on one of your outdoor adventures:
- What experiences do you recall the most?
- Do you remember your location and all its details?
- What type of plant did you notice or learn about?
- How did you feel after the experience?
- What did you see? What did you hear?
Consider answering these questions and express yourself as much as you can. Without a journal, the beautiful nature experiences might become a distant memory. Keeping a journal can deepen your connection with nature and improve your mental health and overall well-being.
Share your experience with other people
Sharing your experiences with other people can induce a deeper level of connection with nature while allowing you to build stronger relationships. More like journaling, interacting with loved ones about your nature experiences helps keep the memory alive and helps you dive deeper into understanding nature. You can share your latest discoveries with nature, the things that matter. and spark questions that lead to conversations.
Summary
Connecting to nature comes with tremendous benefits for human beings. Nature helps us escape the hustle of the modern lifestyle, and improves our mood and overall well-being. It helps us connect with our roots and respect the life of all living things.
With these techniques mentioned above, you can start cultivating a connection with nature today. And with so much to enjoy and so many benefits, forming a habit of regularly connecting with nature stands every chance to bring a bit more than a smile to your moments of quiet and reflections amongst the trees.
