It’s a nice warm day with a slight breeze and I’m sitting at the side of an active creek enjoying the sounds of the water going by. My fingers are running over the different rocks feeling the differences in textures. Meanwhile, my son is close by on a rock hunt as part of a scouting adventure that involves learning about geology. Work feels like a million miles away at this point, even though we are only about 3 miles away from my home studio.
Even though our family are fairly outdoors type of people, I’m constantly reminded of the value of getting out of the daily grind and the power of reconnecting with nature. Here are some ways that reconnecting to nature can positively impact your life.
Nature supports your mental health
The Metal Health Foundation in the UK released a study showing the benefits to your mental health as you re-connect with nature. Their findings showed that people who considered themselves connected to nature were not only happier, they also felt a deeper sense of worthwhile living and showed lower levels of poor mental health like anxiety and depression.
An opportunity to unplug
In the fall my son and I camped at a few different spots in the Georgia area. Each time I remember packing up and thinking how little I had cared about looking at my phone or staying up to date on the latest news and trends. Sometimes that’s forced when a cell signal is low or non-existent, but even in areas where the signal is strong, being connected to nature is a great opportunity to unplug from your devices.
- Pack your device out of reach. There have been many stories of how a cellphone or smart device saved a person’s life as they got stranded or lost in an unfamiliar place. You don’t have to leave the phone in the car or at home to reap the benefits of being unplugged; just pack or store it away so it’s not tempting to grab it instead of enjoying what’s going on around you.
- Use the device to enhance your experience. If you do have your device out, leverage its power to fully appreciate where you are. I use an app called Merlin Bird ID by Cornell Labs. It is a great app to help birds by their song or pictures or even just a description. I’ve used it in both North America and Europe to find and identify new birds and to learn something new about the area. There are also great apps to identify animals, trees, and other plant life as well.
It’s easy to get entangled in our personal technology, especially if you work from home, do hybrid work, or are currently in school. Step away for tech-free breaks by enjoying the outdoors through a short nature hike, or a full-on off-the-grid trip.
The quality matters
The same Mental Health Foundation study also uncovered that the quality of nature had a profound influence on the benefits to an individual. Think of high quality as somewhere that offers an appropriate space and ecosystem to sustain a higher level of biodiversity. Unfortunately, not everyone has equal access to high-quality nature areas.
For people in a more urban area a small park will be helpful, but be mindful to explore those larger parks, sanctuaries, and gardens in your community to reap more benefits.
Schedule it!
In our time management series (Show 381), we have discussed the importance of building a good system to capture all the things that you do and need to accomplish or participate in. Well-being and self-care time should be included in that system. If after all my years of using the system successfully, I find if I leave something off, the likelihood of it getting accomplished drops significantly. Schedule those breaks to get out there and explore nature. A great way to keep things interesting is by mixing things up to keep them fresh and exciting. You can do this by:
- Find a list of state or province parks to explore in your area.
- Visit every park in your city.
- Look up local nature clubs like gardening, birding, and botany.
- Do something outdoor-related in every county, parish, or region.
- Look up a list online of great outdoor camping areas in your region.
- Look up the best places to hike lists for an area that you are interested in.
- Conquer different styles of camping: Glamping, primitive, hammock, vehicle etc.
Whether you take a full weekend or just an hour, getting out and reconnecting to nature will benefit you in a number of ways. Take time to get back out there and reconnect with nature.
Make a better tomorrow.
-ZH
