A Millennial's Guide to Reconnecting With Nature

If you often find yourself with a busy schedule, spending those rare free moments with your phone in hand and the extent of your time spent outside is taking out the trash, then you have, like most of us, gotten far away from the rhythms of nature. Even though this might be a norm in today’s society, it’s still a serious problem. Establishing a connection with nature is crucial – through nature you heal, awaken and transform, and even get a boost in creativity, health and overall quality of life. Listed below are a few simple ideas to help you get in touch with nature and feel the connection with life all around you:

Make contact with the earth

When you go outside, take off your shoes and socks and sink your bare feet into the grass. Feeling the soil under your feet is an excellent way to reconnect with nature. Another great way to make contact with the Earth is to play in the dirt, just like you did when you were a child. Plant an herb garden or tend to a veggie patch, play in the sand or make mud pies with your little one. Just like sinking your bare feet into the soil will ground you and help you get back in touch with nature, so will digging into it and playing with it using your hands.

Observe the nature carefully

While a walk in the park is always a good idea, you should try to spend more time in wild areas where you can truly observe a variety of natural eco-systems. Visit a natural forest or a nature reserve and go for a long walk. Try to stop every now and then for at least ten minutes, in order to have a good look around you. Bring a pair of quality binoculars with you and try to spot an interesting bird you’ve never seen before or just take in the beautiful view and listen carefully.

Give nature a home

There aren’t many places where wildlife can find shelter and thrive in urban areas, so try to help nature out by giving it a home. Think about building a pond, making a birdhouse to put in your backyard or placing a bird feeder in your garden. You can also plant some wild flowers in your garden, in order to help the bees, or grow some gorse to offer shelter to birds. Getting closer to these wild creatures will make you feel more connected to the natural world.

Spend the night outdoors

Spending a night or two wild camping in the woods is a great way to immerse yourself in nature. Falling asleep under a sky full of stars while listening to the beautiful sounds of nature is truly a wonderful way to connect with the environment around you. While in the woods, you can also try to create a temporary home from scratch using wood, leaves and other natural materials. This is a very rewarding process that proves we can look after ourselves and survive in the wild without the help of technology.

Use your senses

In the past, our survival heavily depended on our senses. Nowadays, however, we rarely ever need to use them to their full extent. Use your senses to get back in touch with nature by picking the pine nuts in a pinecone, touching the bark of a tree, smelling freshly broken pine needles or by listening to the beautiful melodies the birds sing.

Pay attention to small details and the larger lay of the land and take in your surroundings. See, hear, smell and feel and allow yourself to enjoy every moment – you’ll be amazed at how much joy and wonder this can bring into your life.

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