Our world is becoming increasingly fast-paced and disconnected. So disconnected we are starting to forget we cannot exist without nature.
We are nature, its ingrained into the core of our being. Yet, people would rather give up nature than their phones.
And it scares me.
Even I, as someone who is traveling and living outdoors for a large part of the year, admittedly spend too much time in front of screens. And I have to keep reminding myself that what I see online is not real life. Trees are. Bees are. The wind blowing through your hair is.
As with every development, there comes an opposite movement. I see a deep longing to reconnect with nature in many people.
I believe it’s a longing to remember who we truly are.
But… Where to start? Here are some practices that help me get in touch with nature—and myself—when I start losing that vital connection.
Ways of reconnecting with nature (and yourself)
1) Learn to observe
Many people live in environments that have very little access to nature. That, definitely, is a problem in itself.
However, I feel like we have also forgotten how to pay attention to the (at time little) nature we do have around.
How often do you stop to look up and marvel at the tree crowns? How often do you notice the birds serenading you? How often do you sit on a bench and just watch the wind move the grass?
Start by learning to simply observe.
You will notice there are so many little details we tend to miss when we just hurry by. The more you look, the more miracles you find, even in a single leaf.
It’s meditative, really. And, there’s a reason why it feels so healing to us to simply sit and observe nature. It provides the perfect level of gentle stimulation for our brains to relax, an effect known as soft fascination.
It is effortless form of attention triggered by nature or calming environments—like watching waves, rustling leaves, or flickering fire—which refreshes the mind without overstimulating it.
So, next time you feel overwhelmed and disconnected… Just go look at grass. Seriously.
2) Go for wonder walks
One of my most cherished rituals is walking. I do try to go for a walk almost every single day, and I feel the difference when I haven’t.
You do not need to be an extreme hiker to get out into nature. Walking is the perfect form of gentle exercise.
It’s another well-studied field with countless proven benefits, from improving cardiovascular fitness to cognitive function.
And in combination with nature, it’s a whole different powerhouse.
Moving through nature is literally in our genes. We have evolved to walk (or, as one of my favorite books puts it: we are Born to Run).
If you can, go walk in a forest. From negative ions to terpenes, forests are full of invisible healers.
Simply breathing in forest air filled with terpenes can lower cortisol (stress hormones), boost immunity, and improve mental well-being. You’re literally inhaling nature’s medicine.
3) Deconnect from your devices
Technology is pulling us away from nature, that much is clear.
I sometimes go on walks listening to or recording voices notes. It’s not the same experience. I’m sure it still has some benefits (simply by moving and being out in the fresh air) but the mental effect is different.
I feel less relaxed, less connected than when I’m walking through the forest for the pure sake of walking.
Make time in nature a technology-free time. Put your phone in your pocket and don’t take it out until you’re back home. Yes, even if you feel tempted to take a photo… maybe explore what it feels like to simply take a mental snapshot. It again brings us back to the powerful practice of observation.
To be able to truly connect with nature, you need to deconnect from your digital life for a moment.
And if you find it hard to allow that, maybe you need more than just a moment away from your devices.
4) Take a deep breath
If you’ve ever learned about mindfulness or yoga, I do not need to remind you how important breathing is.
Next time you’re in nature, pause and focus on your breath.
Only when the breath follows, you have truly arrived in nature. Feel your presence. Feel how the breath bring you back home to yourself.
And if you are connected to yourself, you already have come a long way in reconnecting with nature. Because you are part of it.
5) Find the language
As we live more indoors, and less out in nature, we also start forgetting the language. And that’s part of our disconnection.
Already Pocahontas knew that “every rock and tree and creature has a life, has a spirit, has a name“.
How many trees can you name? How many herbs can you identify? How many flowers are as familiar to you as the face of a dear friend?
We need to befriend nature again. And that starts by learning its names.
6) Feel the wilderness
It’s been studied and proven that experiencing wilderness has positive effects on our well-being.
And as someone who has gone on many solo long-distance hikes, I have witnessed the power of wilderness firsthand. I believe everyone should at some point experience this very primal state where all you do is walk, sleep, eat, with the entire day just being a conversation between you and nature.
You don’t need to be days away from civilization (even though it is a transformative experience), but at least see if you can go somewhere you will be completely alone with nature for a few hours.
If you can, spend the night there. Wilderness experiences challenge us, they may confront us with fears, but they also make us feel alive like nothing else.
7) Comfort vs. challenge
I believe comfort is one of the biggest problems of our times. We can’t help but be creatures of comfort because, throughout evolution, we couldn’t afford to expend too much energy.
However, nowadays, we can live so comfortably it’s killing us. (Another highly recommended read: The Comfort Crisis)
Luckily, we do have a brain. We might as well use it to actively challenge ourselves. Or at least learn to say “No” to some comforts.
Do you need to drive to work when you could walk through the park instead? Do you need to scroll Instagram when you could be sitting by the window watching clouds?
Take control back of your life—reconnecting with nature, and saying “No” to comforts that hurt us, is an active choice.
Reconnecting with nature is foundational
Nature isn’t a nice-to-have. It’s one of our deepest human needs.
Even scientists don’t fully understand yet why nature is so beneficial for us, because it has so many layers working all at once.
But what we do know: Ignoring the call of nature might as well cost us our lives. It hurts our mental and physical well-being and the very core of what it means to be human.
Is it a price you’re willing to pay?
The more I read about how deeply we are intertwined with the natural world, the more I become aware of how detrimental our modern lifestyle is to our true nature.
We need to actively reconnect with nature. It’s the very foundation of everything that we are.
