There’s nothing wrong with thriving in the hustle culture, reaching out to grab your dreams, and making good use of every opportunity that comes your way. We think that’s an exciting and productive approach to living the best life and accumulating rich experiences at every step. Plus, there’s also all the cool people you meet, the friendships you make, and all the life lessons you pick up.
However, beneath all the good and productivity we get done in such a fast-paced world that lives off efficiency, one aspect of our life suffers far too much, and it’s our connection with nature. Our senses have grown numb and unconscious over the years, and the only connections we make to stay grounded are limited to the trees we pass by on the sidewalk or the fruits we get from the market. And, unless we do something about it, we risk living out our lives without ever reinforcing our ties to the natural world.
Why Do We Feel So Cut Off From Nature?
While there are so many things that you could potentially blame for such a drastic cut-off from nature, such as major geopolitical events, there are two critical reasons we all share. Sure, you might be more inclined to know the latest fashion shows or working out instead of a green thumb, but there’s a much more fundamental aspect of our lives that has taken the place of nature.
- Technology In Every Waking Moment: Ah yes, humankind’s most outstanding achievement is also the leading reason behind such a disconnect from nature. We’ve all become so immersed with all the fancy and innovative tech that comes out every single year that it eats up our every waking moment. In fact, it’s almost impossible to find someone who doesn’t rely on some sort of smartphone to do their responsibilities.
- Zero Time For Reflection: While we are strong advocates of keeping busy and setting goals for ourselves, we also won’t deny that this constant relay of things to do and goals to reach has left us little to no time for mindfulness. We’ve all gotten so busy to the point that we don’t know what a not busy day even feels like. And when we try to relax, there’s that looming gut feeling that you’re missing out on something important like a deadline or missed opportunity.
How Do We Fix This?
Lucky for us, it’s not that hard to rebuild and repair the tear that separates us from connecting with nature. Sure, it might take a little bit of effort and sparing some time for reflection, but we think it’s a necessary step forward to finding balance in our lives. There’s only so much you can do by always marching on, and there’s plenty of value to taking a break and feeling everything.
#1 Start Simple, Start At Home
A great place to start and keep things simple is practicing your green thumb from the comfort of your home. Yes, we know that’ it’s not a novel concept by any means, but many people tend to undervalue the benefits of getting into gardening and caring for their plants. There’s a symbolic responsibility attached to caring for them, and you get to learn a lot about being careful and detail-oriented.
Plus, it doesn’t hurt to have your own source of fresh veggies! It’s a great way to maintain a healthy lifestyle and complement any health therapy you’re getting, like trying a new workout or getting an IV treatment. And, if you’re more into flowers and decorative plants, nothing’s more therapeutic than basking in the aesthetic of nature.
#2 Taking A Nature Hike
Another excellent method of embracing nature and diving headfirst into its beauty is by taking a nature hike. Nothing beats going out of your way and setting on a trail to see the natural wonders that make this world. From bird-watching to getting a good workout, there’s absolutely no downside. Plus, it’s also pretty safe to go hiking since you’re staying plenty far from making contact with people.
Apart from this hike itself, we recommend starting a nature journal and jotting down all the unforgettable experiences you have on your walk. Trivial things like accidentally stepping on a branch that spooked you to things with more profound meaning like inner peace can help gauge how much you’ve progressed since first starting out.
#3 Join Nature Communities
Lastly, reconnecting with nature should never be spent alone. While there’s merit to doing it, you’re holding yourself back by not immersing with other people with the same goals and can help you on your journey. So, please consider joining nature communities and local groups that are just as enthusiastic about reconnecting with the natural world.
Who knows, you might pick up a new hobby like nature-focused renovations from the people you meet, and these can grow into strong bonds. Heck, it’s not even a stretch to say that you might find a soulmate this way, which is something you don’t ever want to pass up.
Leading A Full Life
Overall, we want to emphasize that reconnecting with nature is an integral part of leading a full life. So, don’t let the world decide what you do every single day. Take it by the reigns and make your own time to reconnect.
