Day-to-day life is usually a blur of passing lights, blaring sounds, and people’s voices. Connecting with nature helps you find peace in your busy life while making the world a better place. The term connection to nature is frequently used to describe our enduring relationship with nature, including emotions, attitudes, and behavior.
Research shows that people with a greater connection to nature are more likely to behave positively towards the environment, wildlife and habitats. Developing an enduring relationship between people and nature, connecting people, may be critical for future nature conservation.
There is also increasing evidence of a positive relationship between a person’s connection to nature and their health and well-being. Experiencing nature is thought to provide health and well-being benefits.
These are some reasons that show spending a little time in the natural world each day can brighten our entire life.
The importance of being in nature:
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Peace
“If you are depressed you are living in the past. If you are anxious you are living in the future. If you are at peace you are living in the present.”, said Lao Tzu. Nature is incredibly quiet, for whatever reason—perhaps because animals don’t generate nearly as much noise as people do. We may disconnect from the chaos of modern culture and connect with our inner selves by spending time in the wilderness.
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Purity
Nature is primal, unfettered, and unrestricted. Spending time in nature also helps to uncover your inner purity, cleansing your mind and spirit of negativity.
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Respect life
If you’ve ever taken the time to simply observe the plants and other creatures in nature, you’ve probably been awe-stricken by how much life surrounds us. Connecting with nature exposes us to the various forms of life and helps us to gain a deeper respect for all life.
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Stress relief
Spending time with nature allows you to clear your mind, relax, and relieve stress.
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Focus
Interacting with nature helps the body and mind regroup, improving focus as well as heightening the senses. Research has also shown that after an hour of interacting with nature, the memory performance and attention span of the participants improved by 20%.
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Healing power
There are innumerable natural remedies for curing various diseases and ailments, and perhaps the best and simplest one is to just go outside for a while.
Researchers in Pennsylvania have found that patients in rooms with views of trees had shorter hospitalizations, less need for pain medications, and fewer negative comments in the nurses’ notes compared with patients who had views of brick.
10 simple ways to connect with nature
1. Let nature in
Opening your windows, blinds, curtains, and even doors allow sunlight and natural air to flow through your home, giving it a more relaxing and natural atmosphere.
2. Observe
Spend some time each day outside observing what’s happening around you. You’ll begin to notice things about your environment that you’ve never seen before and increase your awareness of your surroundings.
3. Go for a walk
It doesn’t matter if you walk in the local park or around the neighborhood, getting outside exposure and exercising is good for your health and strengthens your connection with nature. Fresh air and sun exposure are just a couple of examples of how walking each day can improve your connection to nature and your overall health.
4. Stargaze
Stargazing is a fun and nostalgic way to admire the universe and all of its possibilities. It’s humbling to be reminded that our lives here on Earth are a part of an enormous picture formed by millions of worlds that we can hardly even begin to dream of.
5. Visit bodies of water
Water is the fundamental basis of all life on Earth and natural bodies of water are beautiful. Plus the sound of water is naturally soothing and although you could buy it in the store, there’s nothing like the real thing.
6. Visit a zoo
It may seem like child’s play, but visiting a zoo offers a unique insight into what the rest of the world looks like and can help to remind us that we are not alone on this Earth.
7. Go camping
A camping trip with buddies or family is a great way to bond not only with each other but also with nature. Escape from everyday life and find yourself with the trees, stars, and campfire stories.
8. Start a garden
Growing a garden is a fascinating experience that exposes you directly to the work of nature as you watch your plants grow. Most plants are simple to maintain and you can grow them indoors!
9. Meditate outside
Meditation is a great way of calming your thoughts and emotions. Meditating outside has the positive side effect that you can feel connections to the environment. You will start to feel the tree under your feet or the little beetle on your hand. The more you train yourself to watch your thoughts without getting carried away, the more space will be created for intuition and an automatic connection to the web of life.
10. Lie in the grass and feel the heartbeat of Mother Earth
A very simple exercise: lie on your back in the grass, close your eyes, and feel where your body touches the earth. Just follow your breath for a while and feel the heartbeat of Mother Earth.
To sum up, by connecting to nature we can receive lots of positive points. From peace and relieving stress to promoting our health and well-being. Start with one or two of these tips and spend just 5 minutes in nature daily.