Spending time in nature provides many benefits for our physical and mental health. Studies show that being outdoors in natural environments lowers stress, blood pressure, and heart rate. The sights, sounds, and smells of nature have a calming effect that can help relieve anxiety and depression. Walking in the woods or sitting by a lake gives our minds a chance to unplug and recharge. Exposure to greenspace also boosts concentration and creativity. The innate peacefulness of the natural world encourages reflection and mindfulness. Taking children outdoors helps them develop empathy as they observe wildlife. Connecting with nature builds appreciation for the environment, making us more likely to take actions that protect the planet. Even short breaks in a garden or park allow us to destress and feel restored. Regular visits to natural places support overall wellbeing.
No matter where you are, indoors or out, in a remote wilderness or sitting in your front yard, there is always a way to deepen your connection with the natural world.
Here are Ten Ways To Deepen Your Connection To Nature
All of these activities can be done on your own or with family and friends.
1 Notice fallen leaves.
There are always leaves around us, even walking down a city street. Begin to notice them as each one is a piece of art onto itself. What are you seeing in each leaf? How does it feel? How does it interact with light? What does it make you think of? What features do you enjoy about this leaf or leaves?
2 Find a sit spot.
Simply commune with nature. Sit in a spot for 10 minutes or more and notice what is happening all around you, even how the shadows move. You can do this anywhere and you may find a spot that calls to you to visit in different times of day or different months or seasons to notice how it fluctuates.
3 Draw something in nature.
You need not be an artist to do this.The idea here is not to create art but to notice. The act of trying to draw something causes us to focus more intently and thus notice so much more.
4 Notice colors.
Go for a walk and pick a color (for example yellow or purple etc.) and see how many things in nature you notice of that color. Or notice how many shades of green you see. You can do this on your own or play with friends.
5 Dance with nature.
One way to do this is imagine you are a being from nature. Anything from a bird or butterfly to an ant or a fox and on and on. Move the way that being would move and notice what it might notice. Or you can find a plant and move your limbs in and out of the negative spaces between the limbs of the plant.
6 With a friend and take turns sharing what inspires you.
What delights you or makes you curious. The idea is not to have the best thing but to simply share what speaks to you in whatever ways it speaks to you. Such as, “I really love the way the sunlight glitters on the spider webs in that tree.” or “I wonder what makes those holes in those leaves.”
7 Connect with a tree.
Find a tree that calls to you. Sit with it, hug it, notice it’s texture, introduce yourself to it or even ask it what it has seen in its life or perhaps even ask it a question you’ve been wanting an answer to. Do any or all and allow your imagination to fully engage. What message might the tree have for you?
8 Create a mandala or other art in nature.
Without doing harm to anything living, gather some foraged items (rocks, sand, fallen leaves or downed limbs) and create designs or play with colors and shapes, make a spiral or create an animal. Let your creativity be your guide and see nature in a whole new way.
9 Notice the little things.
Take a magnifying glass or a pair of close range binoculars or even the camera feature on your phone to zoom in to notice details in the soil or a leaf or tide pools or anywhere else. It’s amazing all the details in the little things. There are whole worlds to explore.
10 Write about what you are noticing.
Take a journal and find a spot in nature you are drawn to. Start simply by taking in your surrounding for a few minutes or more. Then begin with the prompt, “Right now I am noticing…” Allow for what you see, feel, smell, hear, etc and for what emotions or thoughts or memories that are evoked as well. You may be surprised at what you discover.