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There is a feeling that you get when you are deep in a forest that just cannot be recreated. The deep connection to nature that is felt instantly calms the busy mind. You feel as one with the creatures and plants while wandering, as if you understand each other. As we grow farther apart from nature in our cities, it is increasingly important to find the best methods to deeply reconnect with our roots in nature. This article discusses a few tried and true methods to connect with nature.
We often forget that we are nature. Nature is not something separate from us. So when we say that we have lost our connection to nature, we have lost our connection to ourselves.
Andy Goldsworthy
Our Past Connection
Before the dawn of our advanced technologies and Netflix binging, humans had no other choice but to understand our intricate relationship to the Earth. Without electricity to light their homes, much of the day was spent outdoors completing tasks needed for immediate survival. Between farming, fishing, hunting, foraging and many other daily tasks, humans needed to have a good idea of the world that surrounded them.
Our reliance on nature today is the same as it was. The difference is that we now rely on middlemen to complete the tasks that were once personal. We still grow food and harvest animals. We still drink water and enjoy the bounty of what nature offers, and we still get our daily exercise, only now it is done under artificial lights indoors on a treadmill that offers little resistance.
These seemingly small, but important tasks are essential in remembering that we are also nature. Like the wild animals in a forest, we also use nature to survive.
The Effects of Our Nature Deficit
Like animals in the zoo, the quality of our lives has decreased while the quantity of our years of living has increased. Our average lifespan continues to increase and has reached around 76. Our rates of depression and anxiety are skyrocketing along with it. According to this study, the rates increased 49.86% just between 1990 and 2017.
The effects reach even further into our physical health. In another study, almost half of Americans (133 million people) are suffering from at least one chronic illness. This number has increased by 15 million in 10 years and is estimated to reach 170 million by the year 2030.
These are alarming numbers! There are many ways to combat the rising statistics, and many involve nature. From food to mindfulness, the great outdoors is an amazing solution to battle the effects of our sedentary and sickly culture. Don’t just take my word for it, according to Harvard , spending time in green spaces with trees and grass can dramatically improve mental and physical well being.
Whether you are living in extreme disconnection from nature and would like to remedy this, or are already a strong nature connection advocate, these methods will be sure to strengthen your bond with the natural world and bring you back to yourself and your roots.
Hiking to Connect with Nature
Hiking culture is growing stronger every year. More and more people are taking to the trails to explore the beauty of the world. It is growing more and more accessible for everyone also, with increasing amounts of wheelchair accessible trails. Parents are are able to push their children in hiking strollers like this one, instead of carrying them to ease the burden on their shoulders.
There are long trails for experts and short walk through trails for beginners. Hiking can be done safely in the dead of winter and the heat of summer with proper planning and precaution. It is an all inclusive and amazing activity that will certainly boost your connection with nature.
Just a simple stroll through a meadow will leave you deeply connected to nature. The most beautiful sights and wonders of the world require you to step off the beaten path.
Most people understand the physical benefits to hiking, but it goes even deeper. Being outdoors is incredibly beneficial to your mental health also. Hiking reduces stress and improves your mood, allowing you to return to your center. People spending a lot of time outdoors tend to have lower rates of depression and anxiety and a greater sense of closeness with the natural world.
I have never left a hike unchanged. Each opportunity provides a unique experience with whatever area I am walking. Sometimes I connect more with the many birds singing in the trees. There are other times that I bask in the wildflowers or towering trees. Whatever it is that I am needing in that moment, nature tends to provide, deepening our connection even further.
Living in Each Season to Connect With Nature
There is a new resurgence towards seasonal living that is proving to help people feel more connection to nature. There are many surprising benefits of living seasonally, including understanding the natural rhythms of the seasons and involving them into your daily routines. These small steps make a huge impact in your ability to connect with the natural world around you.
Each season has its own abundance and we are usually looking forward to the next season to enjoy it.
We connect to nature in the Summer by swimming in lakes and rivers or by gardening and eating fresh foods of the Earth.
We can connect in Fall by baking with apples and taking walks to admire the changing colors of the leaves.
Having a fire outside during winter and connecting with the warmth that nature can bring even in the cold is a great way to connect.
Once nature begins to emerge in the Spring, it is easier to make that connection. Collecting dandelions to make jelly or just simply observing the plants as they come back to life are simple yet fulfilling ways to connect with nature.
Living seasonally is an important step in connecting to nature. It is something that has been a part of our history for as long as we’ve been human. It is deeply fulfilling and quite fun to include in your life.
Take More Essential Tasks Outside to Connect With Nature
If you ask my children what my motto is, they will tell you it is “anything done indoors can be done outside.” I am constantly trying to motivate my kids to get outside more by offering to take their toys, drawings, and snacks outdoors. This is almost always met with the usual amount of resistance kids offer when they are seeking the comforts of a warm and comfortable house. I remain adamant in my argument nonetheless.
From dinner prep and cooking to writing a blog post, it can all be done outdoors to provide the nature immersion needed for a strong connection. After all, it is hard to connect with something you spend little time with. The same context applies to relationships. You spend more time with your kids to deepen your connection, why not apply the same concept to nature?
Prepping dinner and cooking outside is my favorite easy method for connecting with nature on a daily basis. It is something I will do anyway, so taking it outside isn’t too much of a stretch. To make it even easier and prevent any excuses, I keep an outdoor cooking kit handy and within reach. I keep my absolute favorite outdoor kitchen knife in this kit to make the experience even more enjoyable.
If you are looking for an extremely affordable and versatile outdoor knife I highly recommend this one. I bought my first one 5 years ago and haven’t used another since. It is my all around go-to knife when preparing food outdoors.
ENOKING Serbian Chef Knife 6.7 Inch, Handmade Professional Meat Cleaver Knife with Leather Sheath
Other Activities to Connect With Nature
Aside from cooking, I also love to eat the prepared meal outside. I read my favorite books and write in my journal outside. I can take my laptop outside and instantly be inspired to write. My kids will often bring their favorite toys outside, even in the snow. They play with them the same as they would indoors. During Summer, you will find my children sitting on the porch or in a hammock even enjoying their tablets. We are immersing ourselves at every opportunity to connect with nature.
Visit An Awe Inspiring Location
The most grand method and I’d say the longest lasting is to visit an awe inspiring location. A grand landmark that leaves you breathless. Somewhere you feel most alive. You will be surprised at how many of these places are close to you. A simple exploration around your local trails or a quick google search will probably point you in the right direction.
If you have the opportunity to visit a distant location vastly different from your home, I would recommend jumping on it. There is nothing more inspiring than seeing what you aren’t used to. What isn’t common. This leaves you with the most profound connection with nature.
This was the feeling we had when we first saw the seasons of Alaska after moving here from Georgia. Moving from the tropical swamps of South Georgia to the arctic wilderness of Alaska is vastly different. You can read about why this move was the best decision for my family here. My connection to nature is growing with each new experience.
An Ancient Ice Cave
Just yesterday we took a spontaneous road trip 3 hours southeast to visit Castner Glacier, an ice cave south of Delta Junction. When I tell you that I felt alive isn’t an understatement. Leaving the hills of Fairbanks to explore the giant snow capped mountains in the Delta Range felt like the opportunity of a lifetime. Seeing those mountains struck something deep inside.
Walking into the cave itself is awe inspiring. The ridges carved into its walls from years of wind and melting Summers are pleasing to the eyes. The darkness of its cavern is tempting to explore. The sight of it is something you simply must see. It feels like magic within.
There are many places like this in the world just waiting for you to see. You simply can’t leave without feeling that deep connection you are seeking. I can’t imagine spending my entire life without seeing some of these wonderful places. They are truly remarkable and bring me back to the root of my connection with nature.
Get Out and Connect with Nature
These methods that I use to connect with nature have been working for me whenever I feel like I have spent too much time indoors. I am human and I have my weeks where I like to binge watch my favorite show. Whenever I emerge from the binge, I feel disconnected and not like myself. This is the perfect time to implement these strategies. Each one is slightly different and requires a different amount of resources or effort.
Sometimes the limitations of life force me to pick the simplest one, which is performing my usual indoor tasks in the outdoors. If I have a little more time and energy, I will plan a simple hike at a local trail. There are plenty of easy trails that are really just a stroll through the woods but are just as powerful.
If I am needing an enormous dose of nature for re-connection, I choose to plan for an awe inspiring trip. Sometimes I am feeling great already, but am just seeking to further that connection and will plan for this anyway.
In Conclusion
Whatever the case is for you, I invite you to try these methods to deeply connect with nature. Not only will you thrive mentally and spiritually, but you will also be boosting your physical health. You will not regret any of these, but will be profoundly changed. Nature tends to do that to us as humans. We seek that connection, whether we know it or not.
[…] 12. Cook your meal and enjoy it outdoors to deeply connect with nature. […]